As part of Golden Week activities this year, I made a tour of places in Kyoto associated with the influential Hata Clan. Anyone who has lived in the city will have come across the name at some stage, as the … Read the rest
Category: Shrine visits (Page 8 of 21)
Cherry blossom has arrived in Kyoto! The trees along the Kamogawa are out in glorious bloom, and people are flocking to the petals in Hirano Jinja, Kyoto’s special shrine for cherry blossom. Yesterday was the first fine day for the … Read the rest
Kitano Tenmangu has spacious grounds, though in the past they were much more expansive and enveloped a large Shinto-Buddhist complex of shrines and temples. Look to the left as you walk along the long entrance path and you’ll … Read the rest
There are over 10,000 Tenmangu shrines in Japan which honour the spirit of Sugawara no Michizane (845-903), a Heian era statesman and poet who was unjustly exiled to Kyushu for plotting against the emperor. Years later oracular dreams indicated … Read the rest
When visiting shrines and temples, you’ll sometimes find stickers on the building, as in the picture above. What are they, and what do they say? From my experience they usually bear the name of a person or company, but … Read the rest
I’ve been told that the New Year snowfall in Kyoto has been the largest for over 50 years. It may have created discomfort for some, but it gave the city a suitably wintry garb and made this year’s ‘first visit … Read the rest
Kamigamo Jinja offers shrine tours by an English-speaking priest, and this week a group of young Germans were able to make a special visit to this World Heritage site. It was a rare chance to hear directly from … Read the rest