Much about the Hata is shrouded in mystery and lost in time. In which century did they arrive into Japan? Did they come from Korea, from China – or somewhere far beyond that along the Silk Road? What belief systems … Read the rest
Category: Kyoto shrines (Page 13 of 28)
As part of Golden Week activities this year, I made a tour of places in Kyoto associated with the influential Hata Clan. Anyone who has lived in the city will have come across the name at some stage, as the … Read the rest
A Shinto wedding followed by a certificate from Kyoto city – the promotion scheme has been much in the news over the past few days as the first of the international marriage certificates was handed over to the lucky
Cherry blossom has arrived in Kyoto! The trees along the Kamogawa are out in glorious bloom, and people are flocking to the petals in Hirano Jinja, Kyoto’s special shrine for cherry blossom. Yesterday was the first fine day for the … Read the rest
Kitano Tenmangu has spacious grounds, though in the past they were much more expansive and enveloped a large Shinto-Buddhist complex of shrines and temples. Look to the left as you walk along the long entrance path and you’ll … Read the rest
There are over 10,000 Tenmangu shrines in Japan which honour the spirit of Sugawara no Michizane (845-903), a Heian era statesman and poet who was unjustly exiled to Kyushu for plotting against the emperor. Years later oracular dreams indicated … Read the rest
My local shrine has been making the headlines because of its plans to build a three-storey apartment block within its precincts overlooking the famed Tadasu no mori woods, which are a remnant of the original woodland that once covered the … Read the rest