Kansai? category ?

Kamigamo-jinja Shrine is a shrine that boasts a history said to be the oldest in Kyoto. Special prayers and viewings are accepted here at any time. After receiving prayers from the Shinto priest, you can view gardens and treasures that are normally off-limits to the public.

It is a subsidiary shrine of Kamigamo-jinja Shrine, but its founding date is older than that. The enshrined deity is Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, who is believed to grant blessings for improvement in performing arts. On the east side of the shrine grounds is a pond, famous for its Japanese irises that bloom around mid-May.

It is a sub-temple of Shokokuji Temple, located on the west side of the temple grounds. The author Tsutomu Mizukami trained there from the age of 9 to 13, and it is known that he wrote the novel "The Temple of the Wild Geese" based on that experience.

Shokokuji Temple was founded at the end of the 14th century by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shogun of the Muromachi shogunate. This is the head temple of the Shokokuji branch of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. The Dharma hall, built in 1605, is the oldest example of a Dharma hall architecture in Japan.

It is one of the eight main temples of the Nichiren sect in Kyoto. Many of the buildings, including the main hall, the founder's hall, and the pagoda, are designated as tangible cultural properties of Kyoto Prefecture. The garden created by Honami Koetsu and the Nirvana painting by Hasegawa Tohaku are also famous.

Hokyoji Temple is a nunnery with ties to the Imperial family, where the head priest has traditionally been a princess. Because the Emperor presented dolls to the temple seasonally, this temple houses a large collection of dolls. These are open to the public every spring and autumn.

Honryuji Temple is the head temple of the Shinmon-ryu branch of the Hokke sect. It was founded in 1488. The main hall and the founder's hall are designated as important cultural properties. Having survived numerous fires, it is known as the "Temple That Never Burned."

This temple originated in 821 when Kobo Daishi enshrined a statue of Kangiten (Nandikesvara) to pray for the recovery of Emperor Saga from illness. A statue of the Thousand-Armed Kannon (Sahasrabhuja), designated as an Important Cultural Property, is enshrined here.

Saiunji Temple was founded in 1569. In the 19th century, the temple's head priest became famous for his affectionate treatment of a raccoon dog that lived on the hillside behind the temple. Many visitors came to see it, and people began to offer raccoon dog figurines as offerings.

This temple is said to have been founded in 819 by Kobo Daishi, who spread esoteric Buddhism in Japan. Its official name is Syakuzoji, but it is affectionately known as Kuginuki-Jizo (Nail-Removing Jizo). Many people visit this temple hoping that it will relieve their pain and suffering.