Go-Ou Shrine

Go’o Shrine is a shrine in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, enshrining Wake no Kiyomaro and Wake no Hiromushi-hime. Originally it was worshiped as “Gohō Zenshin-sha” within the precincts of Jingo-ji Temple on Mount Takao in western Kyoto, but in 1886 (Meiji 19) it was moved by imperial order to its current location in front of the Hamaguri Gate of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Access is about a 7-minute walk from Marutamachi Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway. Wake no Kiyomaro is known for helping pave the way for the founding of Heian-kyo (Kyoto). Earlier, he angered the powerful figure Dōkyō by preventing his attempt to claim the imperial throne, and was exiled to Usa. Legend says that when assassins attacked during the exile, a sudden appearance of 300 wild boars saved him—hence the shrine is also called the “Boar Shrine.” Another tale says Kiyomaro’s leg ailment was healed under the protection of boars; because of this, the shrine is worshiped as a guardian deity for legs, hips, and mobility.