Heian Shrine

Heian Shrine in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward was constructed in 1895 to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the establishment of Heian-kyo (ancient Kyoto) as Japan's imperial capital and to honor its first and last emperors: Emperor Kanmu, who founded the capital in 794, and Emperor Komei, the last emperor to reign in Kyoto before the court transferred to Tokyo in 1869. The shrine buildings are modeled at two-thirds scale on the original Daigoku-den (Great Hall of State) of the Heian imperial palace, rendered in vivid vermillion and white with characteristic sweeping rooflines, making Heian Shrine one of Kyoto's most visually striking complexes. The massive concrete and vermillion torii gate at the shrine's south entrance, standing 24.4 meters tall and spanning 18 meters wide, is one of Japan's largest torii and is visible from several blocks away across the Okazaki museum district. The shrine's principal draw for many visitors is the Shin-en garden, a four-part strolling garden encircling the main shrine buildings that was designated an outstanding national scenic site. The garden contains exceptional examples of weeping cherry trees — among the finest in Kyoto — that bloom in late March to early April in cascades of deep pink reaching the water's surface. A wooden stepping-stone path crosses the central pond garden, passing a covered walkway bridge and the small island pavilion of Taihei-kaku. Each of the four garden sections reflects a different period and style of Japanese garden design from the Heian through Meiji eras. The shrine hosts the Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) on October 22, a procession of 2,000 participants in historically accurate costumes representing every era of Kyoto's 1,100-year history.