Best Shrines around Kansai Spot List

This lushly green shrine faces Midosuji boulevard and is more than 1600 years old

The head shrine of all Gion satellite shrines throughout Japan. Local residents call the shrine ”Gion-san.”

A shrine affiliated with boars and protection for the lower body

Pray for good health and matchmaking at this shrine built for subduing an epidemic

This ancient temple contains the history of the Southern Dynasty

Boasts an amazing stage modeled after a lion mask

Famous for its strange festival, the Kurama Fire Festival

The inner sanctuary is the oldest example of Shinto architecture in Japan

Famous for its cherry blossoms and being one of Kyoto’s three Kumano Shrines

The head shrine of all the Tenman-gu shrines in Japan, affectionally called ”Kitano no Tenjin-san.” The shrine is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane.

Famous for its deity of scholarship

The traditional god of learning

Dedicated to Toyo'uke-no-Omikami

Here resides the god who watches over Kyoto's kitchens

The shrine to the north of the main hall of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, whose spirit is worshipped as a deity of marriage. A pair of guardian stones in the grounds known as ”Koi uranai-no-Ishi” dates back to the Jomon period.

Where the guardian buck and doe are enshrined

A shrine famous for its ”Wedded Rocks”

The mystical, large torii (gateway) that appears as if it’s floating on the lake’s surface is a must-see

The head shrine of all the Inari-jinja shrines across Japan. Its approximately 1,000 photogenic torii gates (an archway to a Shinto shrine) attract many visitors.

Known for its relation to the Fujiwara clan, this shrine boasts spectacular views of autumn foliage