Feel spiritually recharged at these spots believed to impart its visitors with a special energy, and bring home some luck in the form of an omamori (charm)!
Jishu Jinja Shrine (Kiyomizu Temple)
For: Love/Good Marriage/Matchmaking
Located behind the World Heritage site of Kiyomizudera Temple, this shrine is the ultimate power spot to charge up on luck in love. Japanese have made pilgrimages to the gods of love believed to reside here since 1,300 years ago. The main god, Okuninushi no Mikoto, is worshipped as the god of abundance, luck and happy marriages. Test your love luck by walking between the “love fortune-telling stones” here. Get a love charm for 500 yen, or one for good marriage for 1,000 yen.
Address: Kiyomizu Ichome 317, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
Hours: 9am – 5pm
Suga Jinja Shrine (Kotsu JinjaShrine)
For: Traffic Safety/Matchmaking
The Kotsu (Traffic) Jinja Shrine is the only shrine in Japan dedicated to the gods of traffic and travel safety and people from all over Japan come here to pray for safe journeys. Car owners can get their vehicles blessed at a drive-through purification station. In the same premise is the Suga Jinja Shrine, whose main god is the god of the sea and storms, Susano-o no Mikoto, who is married to another deity and prayed to for happy marriage.
Address: 1 Shogoin Entomi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
Hours: 9am – 5pm
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
For: Prosperity and good business
This is probably the most recognized Kyoto shrine for its thousands of vermilion toriigates lining the paths in its compound. Each gate is donated by an individual or company, starting from 175,000 yen for a small gate and 1 million yen for a larger one. This is the head shrine of Inari, the Shinto god of rice and patron of businesses and merchants. Foxes are thought to be Inari’s messengers, explaining the many fox statues in the temple grounds.
Address: Fukakusayabunouchi-Cho 68, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto
Hours: Always Open