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Oharano Shrine – The Ultimate Guide to Kyoto’s Hidden Gem
It is no surprise that Kyoto (京都) is home to a plethora of temples and shrines, both large and small; including the highlight of today’s post, Oharano Shrine (大原野神社). Oharano Shrine is among the hundreds of shrines in Kyoto that is relatively hidden from the usual tourist radar. While it is rather secluded; it makes up for it with its captivating nature scenery as well as a rich history behind its founding (see my trivia post about this shrine). To find out what the shrine beholds, lets explore its beautiful in today’s post. Exploring Oharano Shrine Location Oharano Shrine is located at Nishikyō Ward (Nishikyō-ku/西京区); aka the Western Capital Ward.…
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Oharano Shrine – Trivia Behind Kyoto’s Historical Hidden Gem
Tucked away within the western forest of Kyoto lies the little Oharano Shrine (大原野神社/Ōharano-jinja); a shrine that is totally out of the tourist radar for those visiting Kyoto (京都). Ask the hordes of tourist if they have heard of this shrine and chances are 99.99% the answer is a huge NO. Despite this, the shrine itself holds an important spot in Kyoto’s history for more than a thousand years. With that in mind, lets dwell into this background behind the founding of this shrine. History A Little Historical Background For the history of this shrine, we first introduce the main contributor to this shrine, Emperor Kanmu (桓武天皇). Emperor Kanmu was…
