Kurumazaki Shrine

History and Divine Virtue

This shrine enshrines Kiyohara no Yorinari, a Confucian scholar of the late Heian period whose learning and virtue were praised as "a talent akin to the gods." His divine grace is held to watch over the keeping of promises, and the shrine has long drawn worshippers praying for smooth contracts and negotiations, financial fortune, and good matches. The shrine's name is said to derive from an imperial excursion of Emperor Gosaga to Arashiyama, when the shaft of his ox-drawn carriage (kuruma) broke before the shrine. A distinctive rite continues to this day: worshippers take home a kinen-shinseki, a prayer stone received at the shrine, and when the wish is fulfilled, return it together with another stone in thanks. Within the precincts stands Geino Shrine, dedicated to Ame-no-Uzume no Mikoto, where thousands of vermilion fence plaques inscribed with stage names and troupe names have been dedicated — a gathering place of reverence for people of the performing arts. The grounds are also known for their cherry blossoms, and the shrine is said to have once been called "Sakura-no-Miya," the palace of cherry trees.

Visiting Notes

• Make your prayer with a kinen-shinseki, offered in amulet or tablet form. When the wish comes true, return with a stone of thanks.
• At Geino Shrine within the grounds, rows of vermilion fence plaques line the precinct; many visitors search for the names of famous performers.
• The old order of worship holds that you first purify body and mind at the Kiyome-no-Yashiro before approaching the main hall.

Deities and Location

Enshrined Deities

Kiyohara no Yorinari

Location

京都府京都市右京区嵯峨朝日町 (Kyoto)

Access

Directly outside Kurumazaki-jinja Station on the Randen (Keifuku Railway)

Lineage

Wealth & Prosperity

Visiting hours, goshuin (shrine stamps), and festival dates change; please confirm the latest information through each shrine's official announcements. If you find an error in this entry, we would be grateful if you let us know.