Do you know what the zodiac sign is?
It is said that you can get lucky by visiting the shrines and temples associated with the 12 zodiac signs of the year at the beginning of the year.
There are all twelve zodiac signs in Kyoto, and many people do the zodiac signs in addition to the main shrine for the first visit.
Each of the twelve zodiac signs has a guardian deity which both Shinto and Buddhist.
The guardian deity of the year of Ox is “Omononushi” in Shinto, and the other is “Kokuzo Bosatsu”.
Therefore, it is also recommended to visit the shrines and temples that enshrine each of them.
Kitano Tenmangu
A dozen ox statues are dedicated to the precincts of Kitano Tenmangu.
In addition, it is a shrine that has a deep connection with the ox, such as the barn being enshrined.
This is because the ox was thought to be the messenger of Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of the ritual.
There is a theory that Sugawara no Michizane’s birthday and death date are Day of the Ox, and that he was saved by a white ox during the hardships of his life.
It is said that if you use the same area as the place of illness or injury and touch it with an ox, the symptoms will improve, and if you touch your head, you will receive wisdom.
【Basic information】
Street address
541 Nijojo-Cho, Nakagyo-Ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 604-8301
Access:
・ From Kyoto Station, get off at “Kitano Tenmangu-mae” on city bus 50/101 and walk immediately
Admission fee:
Free in the precincts
〇Tenmangu, which is related to Sugawara no Michizane 〇
Sugawara no Michizane, who has a connection with Ox.
In addition to Kitano Tenmangu, there are other shrines in Kyoto whose deity is Sugawara no Michizane.
・ Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine
Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine, located in Nishiki Market, which is famous as a kitchen in Kyoto, was built in the birthplace of Sugawara no Michizane.
Currently, it is considered to be a guardian shrine in downtown areas such as Nishiki Market.
・ Fumiko Tenmangu
Fumiko Tenmangu is said to be the first shrine where Taji Hifumiko worshiped Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of Kitano Tenmangu.
・ Nagaoka Tenmangu
It is a deeply connected place where Sugawara no Michizane enjoyed poetry orchestra by playing occasionally with Ariwara no Narihira in his lifetime.
Kokuzo Horinji Temple
A pair of stone statues of an ox and a tiger are placed in front of the main hall at Kokuzo Horinji Temple. The Kokuzo Bosatsu is considered to be a guardian born in the year of Ox and Tiger and is one of the three major Kokuzo in Japan along with Enzoji and Kongoshoji. Generally, people gather faith as “a Buddha who bestows wisdom”, but in reality, he is also a Buddha who gives all benefits not only to wisdom but also to good luck, artistic talent, and career advancement.
【Basic information】
Street address
〒616-0006
68 Arashiyama Kokuzoyama-Cho, Nishikyo-Ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Access:
・ 10 minutes on foot from Arashiyama Station on the Hankyu Arashiyama Line and Keifuku Arashiyama Main Line
Admission fee:
free
Do you need more information?
You should receive such local information of Kyoto by an application “KoI APP”.
With this application, even if you don’t have Wi-Fi, you can find nearby stores and so on.
You can install the application from the following URL.
