Heian-jingū

Introduction

Heian Shrine in Okazaki, Sakyō, Kyoto, Japan, was founded in 1895 for the 1,100th anniversary of the capital's move to Heian-kyō, enshrining Emperor Kanmu who ordered that move; Emperor Kōmei was added in 1940. Its buildings reproduce the Chōdō-in state halls of the ancient palace at five-eighths scale, with vermilion columns under green glazed tiles and the central Daigokuden flanked by the Sōryū-rō and Byakko-rō towers — bright and expansive, a deliberate contrast to Kyoto's darker old temples. Outside the Ōtenmon gate the great torii on Jingū-michi rises about 24.4 m; built in 1928, it is a registered cultural property and the landmark of the district. The Shin-en garden of about 30,000 sq m in four sections was designed by the Meiji master Ogawa Jihei VII and is a nationally designated scenic site: weeping cherries crowd the water in April, water lilies and irises follow in June, and the Taihei-kaku bridge pavilion spans Seihō pond, a picture in every season. On 22 October the Jidai Matsuri sends two thousand people in historical costume through the streets, ranking with Gion and Aoi as one of Kyoto's three great festivals.

✨ Highlights

🛈 Practical Info