Yasaka Shrine

Yasaka Shrine, affectionately known to locals as “Gion-san,” stands at the eastern end of Shijo Street, between the Gion entertainment district and Maruyama Park. The origins are debated, but one tradition says it began in 656 (Saimei 2), when a Korean envoy named Irishi enshrined Susanoo-no-Mikoto, said to reside on Mt. Gozu in Silla, in Yamashiro Province. The shrine enshrines Gozu Tenno, and the famous Gion Festival is said to have begun in 869 (Jogan 11) as prayers here to ward off an epidemic. The festival’s peak includes Yoiyoimiya on the 15th, Yoimiya on the 16th, and the grand Yamahoko procession. The precincts span about 20,000 m², and from Maruyama Park you can enter directly into the shrine grounds near the area of the Gion weeping cherry. A popular spot among women is Utsukushi-gozen-sha, dedicated to three goddesses associated with beauty. In recent years, New Year’s visits have been said to draw around one million worshippers, ranking it second in Kyoto Prefecture after Fushimi Inari.