There are said to be about 30,000 Inari shrines across Japan, loved by people of all ages. Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of them all.

People pray here for good harvests, business success, family safety, and the fulfillment of their wishes. Many visitors come at New Year.

You can walk the 4-km “Oyama Meguri” path around Mt. Inari, the sacred mountain where Inari worship began. Red torii gates, donated by companies and individuals, line the grounds and the mountain paths. The “Senbon Torii” (Thousand Torii Gates) is especially famous and is the symbol of Fushimi Inari Taisha.

Tofukuji Temple is the head temple of the Tofukuji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, founded in the Kamakura period, and is one of Japan’s leading Zen temples.

Tsutenkyo Bridge, which spans the valley called Sengyokan within the temple grounds, is famous as a renowned spot for autumn foliage. Another highlight is the Honbo Garden (Hasso-no-Niwa), a National Scenic Beauty featuring a modern Karesansui (dry landscape) style designed by the Showa-era landscape architect Mirei Shigemori.

The vast temple grounds house medieval Zen architecture and store more than 5,000 cultural properties.

Until May 30, 1868, this shrine was called “Kanshin-in” or “Gion-sha.” On that day, the government ordered the name to be changed to Yasaka Shrine. Many people in Kyoto still call it “Gion-san,” its old name.

There are several stories about its beginning. It is said that the shrine stood here even before the capital moved to Kyoto in 794. In the Heian period, it was counted as one of the “Twenty-Two Shrines.” The Imperial Court respected it greatly, and ordinary people also worshipped here deeply. Its fame spread across Japan.

It is the head shrine of more than 3,000 Yasaka Shrines across the country, all of which enshrine Susanoo-no-Mikoto. It has more than 1,100 years of history. It is also known for the Gion Festival, which lasts the whole month of July.

To-ji is the only remaining structure from Heian-kyo, the ancient capital. It was built about 1,200 years ago, when the capital moved to Kyoto, as a national temple.

Emperor Saga, who became emperor after Emperor Kanmu, gave the temple to the monk Kobo Daishi (Kukai). Kukai had returned from China, where he had studied a new kind of Buddhism called Esoteric Buddhism. To-ji became the first Esoteric Buddhist temple in Japan.

The grounds have three National Treasures: the Kondo (Main Hall), the Five-Story Pagoda, and the Miedo Hall. The pagoda is a symbol of Kyoto. At 55 meters, it is the tallest wooden pagoda in Japan. In 1994, To-ji was registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.”

The name “Kiyomizu” means “pure water.” It comes from the spring on Mt. Otowa, which has flowed without stopping for centuries. The water now runs into the Otowa Waterfall.

The temple grounds cover 130,000 square meters on the side of Mt. Otowa in the Higashiyama hills. More than 30 buildings stand here, including National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. Most of them were rebuilt in the early Edo period. In 1994, the temple was registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.”

The main hall is a National Treasure. Its large wooden stage is known as the “Stage of Kiyomizu.” The stage sticks out over a cliff. It is built in the “Kakezukuri” style and held up by zelkova pillars up to 12 meters long.

Kitano Tenmangu is the head shrine of all Tenmangu shrines in Japan. It enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, and it is where Tenjin worship began. Local people call it “Kitano no Tenjin-sama.”

Michizane is known as the “God of Learning.” Many students, especially those preparing for exams, come here to pray. The main hall is a National Treasure. Toyotomi Hideyori built it in 1607 in a grand and colorful style from the Momoyama period, called “Hachito-zukuri” (eight-gabled style). The shrine is also famous for its plum blossoms and autumn leaves, which Michizane loved very much.

Michizane was born on June 25 and died on February 25. For this reason, a monthly market called “Tenjin-san” is held on the 25th of every month. The grounds are lit up at night, and many stalls line the streets nearby. It is busy with visitors all day.