Iwashimizu Hachimangu

History

Iwashimizu Hachimangu stands atop Mount Otoko in Yawata, Kyoto, and is counted, together with Usa Jingu and Hakozaki-gu (or, in some accounts, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu), as one of Japan’s “Three Great Hachiman Shrines.” It was founded in 859, the 1st year of the Jōgan era, when the monk Gyōkyō of Daian-ji Temple in Nara received an oracle from the deity Hachiman Okami at Usa Hachimangu in Kyushu and enshrined the god here on Mount Otoko. Guarding the southwest — the “back demon gate” — of the Heian capital, the shrine has long been venerated as a protector of the nation and the imperial household. In 2016, ten of its main shrine buildings were designated National Treasures.

During the rebellion of Taira no Masakado and Fujiwara no Sumitomo in 939, the imperial court prayed to Hachiman Okami, and the uprising is said to have been quelled through the deity’s divine power. From that point on, imperial devotion to the shrine as a guardian of the nation grew even deeper. Successive emperors and retired emperors are said to have made more than 240 visits over the centuries, and together with Ise Jingu, the shrine is known as one of the “Two Ancestral Shrines” (Nisho Sobyo).

Highlights

The present main shrine was built under the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, and its beautiful vermilion-lacquered halls are designated a National Treasure as the “Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine Buildings.” The grounds command a sweeping view over the Kyoto basin, and locals affectionately call the shrine “Yawata no Hachiman-san.”

Visiting Tips

The cable car (funicular) up Mount Otoko is the most convenient way to reach the shrine. Along the walking path up the mountain stands a monument commemorating Thomas Edison’s use of bamboo from Mount Otoko as the filament for his early light bulbs.

Annual Festivals

• Chokusai Iwashimizu Festival (September 15) — One of the “Three Great Imperial Festivals,” together with the Kasuga Festival at Kasuga Taisha in Nara and the Aoi Festival of the Kamo shrines in Kyoto, this venerable rite dates back to the Heian period. It begins with a midnight procession of the deity and includes a release ceremony (hōjō-e) in which fish and doves are set free in the Hōjō River.
• Year-round festivals, including the Aoyama Festival and Takigi Noh — Iwashimizu Hachimangu holds more than 100 festivals and rites throughout the year.

Nearby Food & Sightseeing

The cherry-tree-lined Sewaritei embankment, with views over the confluence of the Kizu, Uji, and Katsura rivers, is another spot worth combining with your visit.

• Asahiya — A long-established restaurant of more than 100 years standing in front of Keihan Iwashimizu-Hachimangu Station, famous for its mackerel pressed sushi, a popular treat after paying your respects.
• Sewaritei Cherry Blossom Row — A famous spot where cherry trees line the confluence of the three rivers for about 1.4 km, drawing large crowds of blossom viewers in spring.