Hirano Shrine is located near KINO machiya, 8 minutes walking distance neighborhood. Hirano Shrine is a famous shrine known for its cherry blossoms. The shrine has a cherry blossom tree called "Sakigake no Sakura." It is said that when the cherry blossoms bloom on this tree, the flower viewing season in the old capital of Kyoto begins. Japan has many shrines, each with its own status, although not widely known. Hirano Shrine has been known to exist since the late Nara period (782). Its name is recorded in a history book written in 782 that still exists in Japan.
A shrine with a deity of matchmaking that is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot heralding the arrival of spring.
A prestigious shrine established by Emperor Kanmu in the year 794 (Enryaku 13) in conjunction with the relocation of the capital to Heian-kyō. It is said that at the time of its establishment, the shrine had a vast property comparable to the Imperial Palace, and it enshrines the four deities Imaki Okami, Kudo Okami, Furuaki Okami, and Hime Okami in separate halls. The remarkable feature of this shrine is its cherry blossoms. As indicated by the cherry blossom crest, it is renowned as one of Kyoto's top cherry blossom viewing spots. The shrine's history dates back over a thousand years since the Heian period when thousands of cherry trees were planted. Within the precincts, there are approximately 400 cherry trees of about 50 varieties, including the Gyoikou cherry tree that bears yellow flowers. From late March to Golden Week, visitors can enjoy the cherry blossoms blooming sequentially over a month. On April 10th, the grand festival "Sakuramatsuri," centered around the ritual procession of approximately 250 participants called "Jidaimakimono" within the parish, including the divine fortune of Hime Okami, the guardian deity of women, attracting blessings of fertility and good relationships.
【The Ancestral Deity of the Eight Clans and the Court Musicians】
In the late Nara period, the system of "Shinsekikoka" (where imperial family members take on surnames such as Genji and Heike and become subjects) was established. The Genji and Heike clans, along with the Takakai, Oe, Nakahara, Kiyohara, Akishino clans, among others, who went through Shinsekikoka were considered ancestral deities of the imperial family and were highly respected by the civil and military authorities who followed this trend. It appears that our shrine was enshrined outside the imperial court in connection with this Shinsekikoka. There is also a theory that the protagonist Hikaru Genji of "The Tale of Genji" symbolizes the prosperity of the clan that underwent Shinsekikoka and is a manifestation of the deity Hirano Okami, who was worshipped.
【Main Shrine and Other Buildings】
The main hall is a nationally designated important cultural property. The South Hall was constructed in 1625 (Kan'ei 2), and the North Hall was built in 1632 (Kan'ei 9). The main hall consists of two buildings facing east, known as "Hirano-zukuri" or "Hiyoku Kasuga-zukuri," with the South and North halls standing in tandem. The enshrined deities are placed in order from the northern side, starting with Imaki Okami, the deity of the four shrines. The orientation towards the east is because of its connection to the imperial court gods.
The worship hall was built in 1650 (Keian 3) by the Higashifukumon-in (Empress Dowager, daughter of Emperor Go-Mizunoo and Tokugawa Hidetada). The thirty-six Immortal Poets depicted inside were done by Konoemoto Saki for the calligraphy and Kaiboku Yutoku for the illustrations.
The auxiliary shrines include the Agata Shrine to the south within the Tamagaki walls. On the north side of the worship hall, there are additional precinct shrines including the Kasuga Shrine, Sumiyoshi Shrine, Ebisu Shrine, and Hachiman Shrine in order from west to east. Along the approach, the Desemboinari Shrine and Sarutahiko Shrine are enshrined.
The South Gate was gifted the former gate of the Emperor's palace in 1651 (Keian 4) and was relocated to its current position as the South Gate in 1943 (Showa 18) from the location of the current main torii gate.
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