The Gion Festival has been held at Yasaka Shrine since the Heian era to pray for the elimination of plagues and disasters. At the Kanko Festival of Gion Matsuri, Yasaka Shrine is the place where the spirit of the gods returns from the portable shrines (Mikoshi) to the main shrine. On New Year’s Eve, an event will be held to pray for the safety of the following year by making ozoni with the fire of sound health.

Yasaka Shrine has a close relationship with Kyoto people.

The current shrine was built in 1654 by the Tokugawa Ietsuna, the fourth shogun, and the main building was designated as a national treasure at the end of last year. In addition to the architectural style called “Gion-zukuri,” in which the worship hall and the main hall are covered with a large roof, the cultural-historical significance of the long history of more than 1150 years since the Gion Festival was founded makes this shrine different from other shrines in Kyoto. You also don’t want to miss the Bigozensha Shrine at the end of the precincts.

Pray for the peace of the new year and feel the history of Kyoto.