Yasaka Shrine

In front of you is the Nishirōmon, the west gate of Yasaka Shrine, the most famous gate even though it is not the main one. It was rebuilt in 1497, after the Ōnin War, and in 1913, when Shijō avenue was widened, it was shifted a few metres. Behind it lies one of Kyoto’s best-loved shrines, which locals still fondly call Gion-san.

1A fearsome god

Until 1868 it was called Gion-sha and worshipped Gozu Tennō, a bull-headed deity linked to epidemics. He was a dangerous god: honoured, he protected; offended, he brought plague. With the official separation of Buddhism and Shinto in the Meiji era, the shrine was renamed Yasaka and its god identified with Susanoo, the tempestuous brother of the Sun goddess.

2The festival against plague

In 869, during an epidemic, a ritual was held to appease the spirits blamed for the disease, with 66 spears, one for each province of Japan. From that rite grew the Gion Matsuri, which every July fills Kyoto with towering floats.

According to an old legend, the god rewarded a poor man, Somin Shōrai, who gave him shelter. That is why many Gion Matsuri charms bear the words “descendants of Somin Shōrai”: a password to make the plague pass by.

The main hall, built in 1654, has been a National Treasure since 2020. And on New Year’s Eve people carry the shrine’s sacred fire home on a smouldering rope.

3What to look for

• The armed guardians in the gate’s niches.
• The lanterns of the dance pavilion, with the names of donor businesses.
• The steps, the meeting point of all Gion.