Yasaka Shrine

Well, this place is about as familiar as any in Japan, recognizable to anyone who has been to Kyoto, it is of course the entrance to Yasaka Shrine in Gion, home of the Gion Matsuri.

Until 1868 it was known as Gion Sha, but the name was changed when the government "seperated" the Buddhas and Kami. The original kami was Gozu Tenno, the Ox-Head Heavenly King, a god of epidmics and relief from epidemics. Originally an Indian god, he became associated with Susano.

The main kami is now Susano, but the shrine is very much a family affair with many members of his family also enshrined here. There is Kushinada, his wife, or rather one of his wives, then there is Yashimajinumi, a son born to Susano and Kushinada. he is Okuninushi's great, great, great grandfather. Next comes Isotake and his sisters Oyatsuhime and Tsumatsuhime. All three have connections with tree planting and wood production, and all three came over to Japan with Susano from Korea, so must have been born to another "wife".

Next a couple of Susano's offspring connected to food, especially grains, Otoshi and Ukanomitama. Ukanomitama is well known as Inari, and Otoshi was born to Susano and Oyamatsumi's daughter. There are many Otoshi shrines around, and interestingly he had many, many children who were worshipped by "immigrant" clans.

Finally there is Suserihime ( or Suseribime), a daughter of Susano who became one of Okuninushi's wives. Not bad considering there was 4 or 5 generations between them.

The meaning of all these kami lineages, in my opinion, is to show intermarriage and alliances between powerful clans. What becomes clear is that the lineages tracing back to Susano dominated early Japan, and the Yamato story of Amaterasu and Susano being siblings is the attempt by the later arrivals, the Yamato, to co-opt the ruling clans into their own history and therefore their divine claim to rule.

The Love Shrine

Tucked away behind the famous Kiyomizudera Temple in the hills of Kyoto lies a small but very popular shrine, Jishu Shrine, known locally as the Love Shrine.

Here you can buy all manner of charms and amulets to aid in finding the love of your life.

There are also a pair of "love stones" set in the ground. If you touch one and then walk towards the second one with your eyes closed and successfully reach it you will be lucky in love.

The main kami is Okuninushi who nowadays is known as the kami of love and relationships. There is also an Inari shrine .

The shrine was built by Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1633.

Wakamiya Hachimangu

Known locally as Toki Shrine, the Wakamiya Hachimangu is located near Gojo a little south of Gion in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto.

This is the heart of the old pottery district, and in August the Kyoto Gojozaka Ceramic Festival is held at the shrine with stalls along the street in front.

The primary kami is Hachiman, now equated with the legendary Emperor Ojin, and also includes his mother Jingu and father Chuai. There are other secondary shrines including this one to Inari.

There is also a Touso Shrine, enshrining the famous Shikoku potter Toushiro. I think this is a twentieth Century addition.

This is the Rengeishi (Lotus stone) donated to the shrine by Ashikaga Takauji, the founder of the Ashikaga Bakufu in the 14th century.

The shrine was originally built some miles to the west in 1053 and was moved to its current location in 1605

Ebisu Shrine, Gion

Ebisu Shrine in Gion is just across the road from Kennin-Ji, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto.

Both were built in 1202 and the Ebisu shrine was built to protect Kennin-Ji.

The main kami is of course Kotoshironushi, the official name of Ebisu.

There are numerous secondary kami enshrined within the grounds, including Hachiman and Sarutahiko.

Gion Ebisu is included in the "top 3 Ebisu shrines", and the major Toka Ebisu Matsuri takes place here in early January.

Around Gion

The Gion district of Kyoto is one of the most familiar places to visitors to Japan, and whiles I try to concentrate on posts that are more unfamiliar, because Yoko is from Gion we visit there fairly often to visit family, so sometimes I will post on Familiar Japan.

This little girl was being photographed by her parents last August. Probably not dressed up for Shichigosan as that is not until November.

The chances are she is a student of Nihon Buyo, traditional dance, and has just finished taking part in the annual recital.

Nagaokakyo

This is the draincover for the city of Nagaoka, the place that was briefly the capital of Japan before it moved to Kyoto. The design shows bamboo and bamboo shoots (takenoko) a major product of the area.

The hills behind the town are covered almost exclusively in bamboo and there are plenty of trails and small roads that let you walk through the area.

I have an earlier post on takenoko here

Whereas we don't maintain the bamboo in any way, other than harvesting the root and the poles, here the bamboo is cultivated.

One method seems to be layering rice straw with soft earth. In places this has built up to a depth of 2 meters with narrow paths between.

The bamboo sculptures at Komorikate Shrine were popular with you, so here is a close-up of the tiger, made completely out of bamboo save for the glass eyes....

Tosa Inari Shrine

Tosa Inari Shrine is jammed in between buildings on a side street off of Kawaramachi Dori in downtown Kyoto.

The shrine was originally built in 1348 on the bank of the Kamo river a little east of its present site.

It was moved here in the Edo Period and renamed Tosa Inari as the surrounding area was the Kyoto headquarters of the Tosa Domain, the former Shikoku Domain nowadays most well known as being the home of Ryouma Sakamoto, star of the most recent NHK taiga drama.

Sakamoto was assasinated not far from here, and amost certainly he prayed at this shrine.

Hatsumode, January 2nd, Kyoto, Part 2

We wanted to visit Okazaki Shrine, but even on the afternoon of the 2nd the line waiting to get in was several hundred meters long. The reason is that the shrine has a famous statue of a rabbit. It is connected with fertility, so maybe we will see a spike in births in Kyoto in about 9 months.

Next up was Kumano Wakaoji Shrine, located at the southern end of the Philosophers Walk.

Here we were given some Amazake, a delicious warm sake drink with masses of ginger added.

Just behind the shrine were several small shrines and a nice little waterfall. The offerings here were less ostentatious.

You cannot go far in Kyoto without coming across Japanese umbrellas used in front of shops and restaurants.

Then on to Awata Shrine, a nice neighborhood shrine in the hills above Gion that seemed to be only visited by locals, and not tourists.

I lived in Kyoto when I first moved to Japan, but I didnt really explore it much. It is nice to come back and play the tourist and see it with different eyes.

The giant torii of Heian Jingu with snow falling on the mountains to the north.

Last stop was Yasaka Shrine, and even as evening approached on the second day of the new year it was still very crowded.

Hatsumode, January 2nd, Kyoto

Though technically Hatsumode refers to the first shrine visit of the year, and of course there can only be one first, many people, myself included, take the opportunity to visit more than one.

The first place we went in Kyoto was Yoshida Shrine where there were no lines of people.

There are quite a few sub-shrines scattered around the hillside, all with offerings laid out in front of the honden.

Omota Sha is a shrine I have been wanting to visit for a long time, but is usually closed, it only opens a few days a year. It features a unique octagonal building.

Omoto Sha also features shrines for all of the provinces of Japan.

The sunny day caused the snow on the roofs to constantly melt and drip.

Nearby is Munetada Shrine, again not so many visitors.

Here we were given Omiki.

Fake maiko.

These 2 young ladies in Gion were being photographed by a whole gaggle of foreign tourists who most probably believed they were seeing maiko or geisha.

In fact the 2 women were customers of one of the many "Maiko make-over" shops that are in Gion.

With prices ranging from 6,000 up to more than 40,000 yen. you can get made up and wear the costume and then wander around Gion.

So, how can you tell they are fake?

A simple rule of thumb is that if it is the daytime, then almost certainly they are cosplayers. Another thing to look for is how they walk. Very few non-maiko will be able to walk in the correct maiko way. The bags they carry and how they lift the kimono are also give-aways.