Last weekend was the Kannamesai at Ise Jingu, often called its harvest festival. It’s their major event of the year, and I thought about going but found everything was booked. Then I heard that if you couldn’t visit Ise itself, … Read the rest
Category: Kyoto shrines (Page 28 of 28)
1) Origins
Kyoto’s oldest shrine? It’s been battling that out with Kamigamo Jinja for some time now.
The Matsuo area was a stronghold of the Hata clan, the Kamigamo area that of the Kamo. The two clans were settled in … Read the rest
Today is the third Sunday in October, and at Kamigamo that means just one thing: Kasagake.
There were traditionally three styles of horseback archery carried out for the entertainment of the kami. The most well-known is Yabusame, in which … Read the rest
A visit to Matsuo Taisha today, where to celebrate the national holiday there was a saké festival in full flow. There was live music, high spirits and people in their cups. The shrine is noted for its quality of … Read the rest
They say Kyoto’s the most visited place on earth, outside Mecca. Jishu Shrine stands within the Kiyomizu complex, which is the city’s no. 1 tourist spot and a magnet for bus tours. To say it gets crowded is an understatement. … Read the rest
Kibune Jinja is small but special; in Heian times it was designated one of the top 22 shrines. It’s noted for being dedicated to a water kami and is located just above the river. There is water gushing all around … Read the rest
On Sunday I went with the Japan Foundation to visit two places of note on the hills to the north of Kyoto – Kibune Shrine and Kurama Temple. The former is famous as one of the oldest and most venerable … Read the rest