Waraten Shrine

Hidden amidst the vibrant tapestry of Kyoto, the Waraten Shrine beckons with a story waiting to be unveiled. Just a short stroll from the famed Kinkakuji Temple, along Kinukake-no-michi and south on Nishioji-dori, you’ll find this gem. Locals often refer to it as Wara Tenjin, a name so ingrained that even the bus stop bears its mark. Waraten Shrine is dedicated to Princess Konohana, a deity revered for her association with easy childbirth. The shrine grounds hold a fascinating secret. Look closely and you’ll discover the Rokusho Shrine, a unique structure housing six enshrined deities together: Ise, Iwashimizu, Kamo, Matsuo, Inari, and Kasuga. Within Waraten Shrine’s embrace lies the Aya Sugi Myojin. This isn’t your typical shrine feature. Originally a towering cedar tree, a fierce Meiji-era storm fractured its mighty trunk. The remaining stump, imbued with a sense of resilience and history, became enshrined as the Aya Sugi Myojin. The great poet Motosuke Kiyohara, father of the renowned female writer Seishonagon, immortalized the original cedar in a poem featured in the Shui waka-shu, a treasured collection of Japanese poetry. The spirit of the ancient cedar lives on at Waraten Shrine, a testament to nature’s power and the enduring reverence of Japanese tradition.