Yasaka Shrine, Kyoto

Yasaka Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the Gion district of Kyoto. It is one of the oldest and most important shrines in Kyoto. The shrine is entered through a two-storey vermillion gate on the eastern end of the Shijō-dōri.

Yasaka Shrine was established in AD 656. It was originally called Gion Shrine. During the Heian period, it received imperial patronage. In AD 965, the Emperor Murakami ordered imperial messengers to report on important events to the guardian spirits called kami, of important Shinto shrines thoroughout Japan. Initially these were presented to 16 shrines, and in 994, Gion Shrine was also included.

Every year, the Gion Matsuri, an annual festival, is held where a portable shrine, or mikoshi, is paraded through the streets. It traces its start to AD 869, when the mikoshi was first paraded to ward off an epidemic that hit the city.

Pavilion at Yasaka Shrine, Kyoto

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