Yasaka to Yasui Konpira (Kyoto)

Kyoto looking good in some late summer sunshine

On a sunny Sunday queues to pray at Yasaka can be surprisingly long, and some take the opportunity for a photo pose before the massive worship hall (the roof of which, unusually, covers both haiden and honden)

Two women paying respects to the kami at the beautification subshrine (as featured in a Green Shinto posting ‘Beauty shrine (Yasaka Jinja)’.  There are so many subshrines it is said you can pay respects to all the country’s kami at Yasaka alone.

Chris Cooling takes the opportunity to splash on a bit of beauty water too

Passing through Yasaka Jinja and the Maruyama Park behind, we set off along the route to Kiyomizudera and discovered that the Gionkaku (Gion Pavilion) and Daiun-in temple had a special opening – a rare event.

The temple was originally built by Emperor Ogimachi for the repose of Nobunaga’s soul in 1587, and it only moved to its present site in 1987. The Gion Pavilion next to it was erected in the 1920s by a member of the wealthy Okura family adjacent to his second house.

The interior of the pavilion is covered with Daoist-inspired murals

View from the top of the pavilion over Higashiyama towards the Yasaka-no-to (Yasaka Pagoda)

Further along the pathway was a small Inari shrine with unusually cute ema

The stone lanterns were unusual too – first time I’ve seen a fox cut-out.

At the Yasui Konpira Shrine the queues were even longer than at Yasaka – because of the pulling power of the ‘enkiri enmusubi’ rock

Climb through the hole in the rock one way and it cuts off bad relations – climb through again the other way and it will bring you a good relationship in future

Along with the love hotels that surround the Yasui Konpira Shrine is a new addition – catering for the morning after perhaps.

No walk through Gion would be complete without sight of a geisha – or someone dressed up as a geisha.  End of a stimulating afternoon, and thanks to Chris Cooling for his company.