Apr. 14, 2020 UPDATE
Imamiya-Jinja Shrine
- 今宮神社 -Traveler Friendly
They have brochures in English for a nominal fee of 10 yen. The staff at the shrine are friendly although the shrine is not that large.
Information
Japanese, English
Languages spoken
Japanese only
Story & Recommendation
A shrine that supports you for a very good relationship
Imamiya-Jinja Shrine was founded in 994 to protect Kyoto from pestilence, and in order to this the god of pestilence is enshrined in the shrine. The shrine itself is located close to Daitoku-ji Temple and not too far away from Mt. Daimonji. The buildings of the shrine are not as old though; they have been burnt down many times and the present ones were rebuilt in the beginning of the 20th century
The shrine is also famous for the girl Otama who lived around the shrine and later became a concubine of the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, and from her success story the saying “tama no koshi,” meaning to marry a wealthy man, was born. Because of this, the shrine is sometimes called “Tama no Koshi Shrine,” and the shrine is thought to be a good place to pray for good marriage-luck, as the girl Otama had exceptional luck, eventually mothering the fifth shogun. Tokugawa Tsunayoshi.
1Highlight
Main hall of the shrine
Three gods of pestilence are enshrined in this shrine. The shrine main hall of the shrine was in disrepair until the mother of the fifth shogun, Otama, ordered it to be repaired during the Genroku period. After this, it was burned down and then later rebuilt during the Edo period.
2Highlight
Orihime-sha
This shrine is devoted to the god of textiles and crafts, Takuhatachijihime no Mikoto, who used to be an important god to the people living in the Nishijin area famous for the Nishijin-ori kimono fabric..
3Good Experiences
Touch the Ahokashi stone
The Ahokashi stone gets its name from a saying that if you call the stone stupid (aho), the stone will feel heavy, and if you call the stone wise (kashikoi) the stone will feel light. It is said that if you stroke the stone thrice, and then touch your body the body part you touched will heal faster.
4Good Experiences
Get a catfish charm
There are many cute charms and amulets on sale at the shrine, but the cutest might be these catfish ones. They will hopefully keep you safe, and besides this, the white one is said to make your mind clearer, the red one is said to keep you calm, and the red and white on is said to make you more decisive.
- Manner & Tips -
Remember that the shrine is a holy place for the believers, so act accordingly.
