Imamiya Jinja

Imamiya Jinja is an old shrine just north east of Kinkakuji in northern Kyoto. Though the shrine’s founding has no official date, it was noted that the shrine was standing before the imperial capital moved to Kyoto (Heian-kyô) in 794 C.E. Imamiya Jinja is a shrine that specialized in granting wishes regarding good health and recovering from illness, and several satellite shrines that bring good luck to the traditional silk weaving community that still weave in the surrounding neighborhood.

For the casual: 7. For the educated: 4.

I have to say, I was surprised that I didn’t know about this shrine when I first visited Kyoto in 2015. I had done my research for temples and shrines in the area, and I was certainly nearby to see Kinkakuji, but I never knew about this hidden beauty in the quieter streets of the city. I know it’s a cliché to say it’s a hidden beauty, but it really is. Dark wooden buildings with slate gray roof tiles, fitted with gleeming gold ornamentation, and secluded in a forest of trees and bamboo, I am so glad that I found this little hideaway. Just another example of what you can find in Kyoto the more often you visit.

 

Kitano Tenmangû

Located only a hop, skip, and a jump down the street from Kinkakuji is the well established shrine Kitano Tenmangû, one of the premier shrines in the city and the shrine most associated with passing exams. The shrine was founded in 947 C.E. to commemorate Sugawara no Michizane, a scholar and renowned figure of the time for his genius. Following his death, the emperor of the time established the construction of the shrine and it became the first shrine in Japanese history to enshrine a real person. The legacy of Sugawara no Michizane in addition to the founding of Kitano Tenmangû lead to the building of branch shrines across the country. Today, there are estimated to be around 12,000 shrines dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane. The shrines are a particularly popular place for students to pray for exam scores, but it’s also a place for people to wish for luck improving personal skills and the wisdom to overcome the mental challenges we all face.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 8.

There are so many reasons I can think of for visiting this shrine, from incredible architecture, vibrant art, peaceful paths of stone lanters, to the quaint surrounding neighborhoods blending traditional Kyoto market streets with modern bistros, cafés, and stores. In the compact modern cities of Japan, and for certain in a major city like Kyoto, it’s amazingly refreshing to find one of those places where all of that fades away. A chance to smell the fresh pine needles, touch stone lanterns from ages past, and ignite the mind with colors and carvings brilliant to the eye. There’s a great deal to see at Kitano Tenmangû, but I firmly believe it must be experienced and not read.

 

Hirano Jinja

Located in the center north of Kyoto next to Kitano Tenmangû, Hirano Jinja is a small and largely unassuming shrine. However, it does have a long and storied history being closely connected to the imperial family and the capitol. The shrine was originally constructed in the Nara Period but was moved to its present location with the founding of the Heian capital in the late 8th century. The shrine is home to the god that protects the imperial kitchen. Today, the shrine is noted for being full of cherry trees, and is a popular hang for students attending Ritsumeikan University.

For the casual: 6. For the educated: 2.

There are actually a lot of reasons to drop by this shrine if you’re in the area, and it’s very easy to be in the area; hence the higher grading. Just to the north is Kinkakuji and across the street is Kitano Tenmangû which makes this shrine easily accessible from two of the most popular locations in northern Kyoto. Once there, the shrine is a lovely collection of well-crafted buildings which exemplify Kyoto religious architecture while also providing seasonal beauty in spring and autumn. One of my personal highlights are the aristocratic toilet signs for men and women, just because it’s fun to see a place have a fun take on otherwise mundane signage.

I apologize for the lack of photos. It was very humid and my camera lens fogged up almost immediately and didn’t acclimate for another hour by which I was down the road at other places.

 

Akô Ôishi Jinja

Originally the residence of Ôishi Kuranosuke, the land was converted into a shrine to commemorate the revenge plot organized by Ôishi and his 46 fellow comrades. The plot is known as the Ako Incident but is more well known in Japan as Chushingura, and in the west as the 47 Ronin. Because Kuranosuke was a high ranking samurai, his residence was just down the road from the castle gate making the correlation between the two unmistakable: this is a warrior’s shrine.

For the casual: 5. For the educated: 9.

I stopped myself from giving this shrine a 10 only because the distance one needs to travel to get to the shrine as well as the lack of noteworthy locations nearby (I’m lumping the shrine and the castle grounds together here). The shrine is lovely which is why I think people should give it a serious chance, but I also think that on the larger scale of things, it’s the story that makes this such a great place. If you are unfamiliar with the story, I invite you to read my post about Sengakuji in Tokyo. For now at least, I’ll say that the tale of these warriors is about insult, honor, and redemption on a heroic level. If you know the story, it’s hard not to feel the waves of emotions as you walk around, signs and pictures telling the story, and the statues of the 47 lining the walkway to the main gate. Past the main gate there is an area where guests can purchase snacks, drinks, and souvenirs. There are also barrels of sake to be opened on New Year’s, small statues of the animal zodiac, and lines to hang omikuji (fortune telling papers).

The main shrine can be divided into two sections: there’s the shrine itself and the shrine museum. The shrine itself is quite lovely and the current year’s zodiac animal is on display. If you follow a path that goes around the wall of the shrine to the left, there are images and placards explaining the story of the Akô warriors. The path leads by the remains of sacred trees long felled and now only marked by countless coins squeezed into any available crack for good luck. The shrine museum requires an entry fee, but it’s full of artifacts from the story and from the real people. As a bonus, visitors can get their photo taken with a large drum that says Chushingura, the kabuki drama based on the Akô Incident.