Heian Shrine

Heian Shrine is a Shinto shrine a short walk from Higashiyama station in Kyoto.

The shrine starts with one of Japan’s largest Torii gates at 25 meters high. Walking through you have a few museums here . The Municipal Museum of Art and The National Museum of Modern Art.

I was lucky enough to be staying near by in an Air bnb in November 2016 and had the Torii as my view.

I walked here every morning to a lovely Starbucks for a morning coffee on Nijo Dori.  Which was part of an extensive bookshop.

After passing the galleries and past the Starbucks on the main road you go onto Okazaki-koen park which walks you up to the main front.

As you walk into the main gravel front area the main hall is very impressive.

I was lucky to visit here also one spring time and paid the fee of ¥600 to visit the beautiful gardens behind which have the most wonderful weeping cherry trees.

I would recommend walking to the nearby Okazaki shrine from here or rabbit shrine as it’s known. A very quiet shrine I visited here early one morning after my Starbucks and had the place to myself.

The shrine is dedicated to childbirth or people wanting children so people come here to pray. It is also a popular place to have Shinto weddings.

Maneki Usagi ( beckoning rabbit )

Ema wishes for easy childbirth or wishes for children