A historic Shinto shrine in Kyoto, famous for its Yasurai Festival and traditional aburimochi vendors.
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Imamiya Shrine dates back to 994 AD and was originally built to protect Kyoto from epidemics, such as plagues, through the worship of a local wrathful deity associated with health and illness. It is now home to two renowned festivals, the Yasurai Festival in April and the Imamiya Festival in May, which trace their origins to rituals performed to dispel the plague that struck in 1001 and have continued in an unbroken chain of tradition ever since.
Many visitors come year-round to pray for health and to purchase stones believed to be magical and capable of granting their wishes. The path to the shrine is peaceful, and the buildings themselves are elegant and traditional in the best possible way, a place to saunter with hands behind the back in contemplation, far from the more heavily trafficked shrines and temples of other districts.
A place to slow down, not rush, and to do some Shinto cultural anthropology, then digest your notes afterward in one of the many teahouses, where abura mochi, a traditional treat of rice cake and soybean flour closely associated with the shrine, is available for a one-stop cultural immersion in northern Kyoto, where spirits meet sweets.
Facilities & Services
- Open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Traditional aburimochi vendors at the east gate
- Hosts the annual Yasurai Festival in April
- No on-site parking; public transportation recommended
Contact
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