Looking to enhance your beauty during your trip to Kyoto? You may be surprised to learn that some temples and shrines in Kyoto are known for their beauty blessings.
Here, we introduce some unique sacred spots where people pray for beauty, radiance, and a more beautiful self.
Shrines and Temples in Kyoto to Visit for Beauty Blessings
Kawai shrine : hand-mirror-shaped ema
Kawai Shrine is located within the grounds of Shimogamo Shrine. A beautiful goddess is enshrined here, and it is said that those who pray there will become beautiful.
The experience of drawing a face on a hand-mirror-shaped ema (votive plaque) is popular. Juice made from the shrine’s sacred water – which is said to make you beautiful when consumed – is also available (in quince and honey flavor).
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Kawai shrine (Kyoto) : Votive plaque for praying for beauty
Kawai-jinja Shrine is located within the grounds of Shimogamo-jinja Shrine. A beautiful goddess is enshrined here, and it is said that those who pray there will become beautiful. The experience of drawing a face on a hand-mirror-shaped ema (votive plaque) is popular.
Yasaka shrine : Utsukushi-Gozen-sha
Yasaka Shrine is an ancient shrine that dates back to before 794, when the city of Kyoto was founded. It is the head shrine of the approximately 2,300 Yasaka shrines in Japan.
Three beautiful goddesses are enshrined at Utsukushi-Gozen-sha, located within the shrine precincts. There is spring water here, and it is said that applying it to the skin will make you beautiful.
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Yasaka shrine (Kyoto) : Praying for beauty and love
Yasaka Shrine is an ancient shrine that dates back to before 794, when the city of Kyoto was founded. It is the head shrine of the approximately 2,300 Yasaka shrines in Japan. The main hall is the largest of its kind among shrine buildings and is designated a national treasure. Yasaka Shrine has two popular sub-shrines.
Sennyuji temple : Yang Guifei Kannon
This temple is the head temple of the Sennyuji school of the Shingon sect. Many imperial mausoleums have been constructed here, and the area has deep ties to the Imperial Family.
The Kannon Hall, located just inside the entrance, houses a statue of Kannon (Avalokitesvara) said to have been modeled after Yang Guifei. It has long been believed that visiting the Kannon makes one beautiful.
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Sennyuji temple (Kyoto) : The Imperial Family’s family temple
This temple is the head temple of the Sennyuji school of the Shingon sect. Many imperial mausoleums have been constructed here, and the area has deep ties to the Imperial Family. The layout in which the gate, the main hall, and the relic hall were aligned in a straight line was a typical style for old temples.
Sokujoin temple : Path of Beauty
It is a temple located right near Sennyuji.
To the right of the main hall is a monument shaped like the earth. In the middle is inscribed “Path of Beauty.” It is said that if you touch it while praying, you will be granted beautiful skin.
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Sokujoin temple (Kyoto) : Amitabha from the Pure Land
It is said that Amitabha, along with twenty-five Bodhisattvas, comes from the Pure Land to welcome the deceased. Sokujoin Temple has preserved a group of Buddha statues that recreate this scene for nearly 1,000 years.
Wakamiya-Hachimangu shrine : Beautiful in body and mind
It is said that Wakamiya-Hachimangu shrine was founded in 1053 at the behest of Emperor Go-Reizei.
A full-length mirror is placed in front of the worship hall. Next to it is written in Japanese: “Beautiful in body and mind.” If you take a look at yourself and correct your appearance before praying, you will likely receive many blessings.
Kurumazaki shrine : talent and beauty
This shrine is located on the way from Kyoto Station to Arashiyama, a bustling tourist destination.
Within the shrine precincts, there is a small shrine dedicated to Sei Shonagon, a writer active from the late 10th to the 11th century who had a profound influence on Japanese culture. For this reason, it is said that this shrine grants blessings of both talent and beauty.
Kurumazaki Shrine is also known as a shrine visited by many celebrities.
