Kitanotenmangū

  • Address: Bakurō-chō, Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture ( rough location)
  • Dedicated to: Tenjin (Sugawarano Michizane)
  • Founded: 947

Together with Dazaifu-Tenmangū in Kyūshū, Kitano-Tenmangū is the center of the worship of Tenjin (God of thunder). Sugawarano Michizane (845-903), a scholar, poet and politician of great talent of the Heian Period, fallen victim of an intrigue and exiled to Dazaifu, Kyūshū. After his lonely death many tragedies happened and attributing these to the angry spirit of Michizane transformed to a God of thunder (Tenjin), the imperial court built a shrine called Kitanotenmangū to comfort his soul. He was deified as Tenjin, kami of scholarship not of thunder.





The First Torii




The Third Torii




"Rōmon", two-storied gate




"Nade-ushi", bull for caressing
If you caress this statue your wishes could be realised...
(Bull is said to be a messanger of the deity enshrined here)




The monument of the Grand Tea Ceremony held here by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
on the 1st of November 1587




This well is said to have been used in the Grand Tea Ceremony of Kitano




"Sankō-mon" Gate (gate of three lights)
You will find the sun, the moon and the stars in the carvings of this gate




"Kibana", carved end of beam of the gate




"Honden", main hall




The Sacred Mirror of Honden (in the center of lower part)








One of the sub-shrines "Jinushi-Jinja"








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