Yoshida Shrine was founded in 859 as the guardian deity of Heian-kyo. It enshrines three deities: Amenokoyane-no-Mikoto, Takemikazuchi-no-Mikoto, and Ihainushi-no-Mikoto.

Yoshida Shrine is famous for its Setsubun Festival, held every year on February 3rd, and attracting many worshippers from all over Japan. The festival is said to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune. Around Setsubun, food stalls line the approach to the shrine grounds, and the shrine hosts the time-honored O-nan ceremony, in which a priest exorcises demons, and the Hiro-sai, in which old sacred talismans are burned.

Highlights of the temple grounds include unique shrines such as Saijo Daimoto Shrine, which enshrines the Japanese gods of heaven and earth; Yamakage Shrine, dedicated to the ancestral deity of food and drink; and Kaso Shrine, associated with Japanese sweets. Experience the "roots of prayer" that connects to Kyoto's food culture.

[Useful Points]
As the nearest train station is far away, buses are more convenient. Take city bus routes 206 or 17 from Kyoto Station, get off at "Kyoto University Main Gate" or "Kyoto University Faculty of Agriculture," then walk for about 5-8 minutes.