Kitano Tenmangu Shrine

Following the footsteps of the Keion Club to Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto! ⛩️ Fans will remember this beautiful spot from the school trip arc, where the girls came to pray for their academic success (though we all know they were probably thinking more about tea and cakes!). Walking through the grand gates and seeing the famous bronze cattle statues, I couldn’t help but smile thinking of Yui and the gang wandering around here. The shrine is famous for the God of Learning, and it perfectly captures that mix of tradition and student life shown in the anime. The atmosphere here is so serene, especially with the scent of plum blossoms if you visit at the right time. Even if you're not worrying about exams like the HTT girls, standing in this 'Keion' pilgrimage spot feels like being part of their Kyoto adventure. A must-visit for any fan wanting to experience the real-life charm of their school trip! 🎸🌸📜

If you check the calendar, they have a monthly flea market where vendors sell the cutest (and also kitschiest) crafts and vintage/antique items!! There was really a large array of offerings - from beautiful handmade ceramics to exquisite locally crafted knives to second hand kimonos and the randomest Knick knacks. I picked up a chawan and teacup myself! You can spend a good half day here strolling down the street. There are many food stalls interspersed in between as well so don’t be afraid of going hungry! The shrine itself is impressive and certainly slept on by all the tourists who come here. Impressively spacious grounds with beautiful autumnal foliage surrounding little pockets of well manicured gardens and mossy life sized stone lanterns. Very dreamy!!

One of my favorite evening shrines. So many lanterns lit up at night and not to many visitors makes for a very enriching and peaceful visit. I went many times both day and night and it never disappoints. I'd recommend going at about 630pm.

The atmosphere was calm, quiet, and full of charm, with long rows of lanterns creating a truly magical scene. It’s the kind of place where you can slow down, take a deep breath, and really feel the history and serenity of Kyoto. I was also lucky enough to see a monkey performance during my visit, which added a fun and unique cultural touch to the day. The shrine grounds are well-kept and spacious, and it’s easy to spend time just wandering around and admiring the traditional architecture and nature around you.

I liked the atmosphere this temple gives me, sometimes I visit at night it's very comfortable sitting there and spending time, Last time I visited there was some autumn festival kind of thing was going on, so much shops and food stalls, there is a sunset watching event going on.

Calm, quiet atmosphere- full of charm ( especially early in the morning). There’s a flea market on 25th each month which have nice and authentic souvenirs.

Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is a culturally rich and atmospheric place, especially during the New Year period. I visited around hatsumode, and the shrine was bustling with energy—truly busy in every sense of the word. The crowds were massive, but there was a shared sense of excitement and reverence as people lined up to make their first prayers of the year and offer their wishes. The air was filled with the sound of bells ringing, laughter, and the chatter of families and friends, creating a festive yet spiritual ambiance. The shrine grounds themselves are beautiful, with traditional architecture and a peaceful layout that contrasts nicely with the lively crowd. There were also many food stalls and vendors selling charms and omamori, adding to the celebratory mood. It was a great place to soak in the local customs and experience a truly Japanese New Year. That said, the sheer number of people made it hard to fully appreciate the serenity the shrine is known for. It was difficult to move around or take in the details of the site. I’d love to return on a quieter day to enjoy the atmosphere more deeply. Still, a memorable visit for the season.

We went yesterday (6 March 2024), and the plum blossoms were starting. By this weekend, they'll be at their peak. I highly recommend this spot for plum blossom viewing. The ¥1200 entry fee is worth it to experience the large garden and elevated viewing platform where you can look over the sea of flowers - amazing! The temple itself is truly impressive and only open to the public during spring and autumn. The grounds are quite large and the buildings are beautiful, especially the unusual rooves and gold highlights. My photos of the blossoms with the temple buildings were the best. Make sure to walk around the back of the main temple to get these iconic Japanese shots.

OMG so amazing. My wife saw that they have this event every month and we were there at the right time. So we went. The temple is nice and all but once a month they have a flea market here in the Temple area and the adjacent street. It is really big. Like going to the Denio's in Roseville. You walk forever and it's nonstop stuff. From junk to antiques. My wife loved the super long wooden horseshoe that was in our hotel and what do you know we found it here. I had seen it in one of the shopping malls but it was like 53 bucks. I didn't like it for that price. Here the nice old man had it for 6 bucks American. He liked our daughter so he threw in a second one for free. We got two of them for 6 bucks now that is a bargain. I was looking for an antique Samurai sword stand but no luck. I had seen one in a photo or video as being here previously. There were so many neat little nick knacks definitely a place to come to find what you are looking for. We really enjoyed ourselves and it was a great place to visit if you're here on the right day. Loved it

There are several monthly flea markets held in Kyoto (just Google "Kyoto monthly markets" and you'll find more details), but this was the one that lined up with our travel dates, and I'm so glad we went! With lots of food stalls, souvenirs, new and vintage items, and of course the shrine itself, there's something here for everyone. The market starts at 6 am, but we weren't there quite that early. By the time we arrived in mid-morning, it was in full swing, with hundreds and hundreds of stalls arranged in rows outside the shrine. The main approach has mostly ready-to-eat snacks, such as takoyaki, fried chicken, custard pancakes, mochi and candy, and pretty much everything is 500 yen or less, so it's fun to wander around and try things out. Once you're full, it's time to start shopping! There are MANY stalls here where you can get kimono for 2,000 yen or less, and quite a few where they are 1,000 yen. There are also separate stalls selling obi and silk scarves that are cut down from kimono fabric. I didn't see any yukata, which is what I was more interested in, but the kimonos would certainly make beautiful and unique gifts for friends back home. We also saw lots of sake sets and pottery, figurines and netsuke, jewelry, kokeshi dolls, and glassware. NOTE: if you are shopping for antique netsuke, please keep in mind that the U.S. requires detailed provenance records to import ivory, it must be over 100 years old, AND it must be imported via one of the 13 U.S. ports authorized to process antiques! Check the U.S. Fish & Wildlife website for more info. We saw a beautifully made ivory netsuke piece at this market, but the dealer was unfamiliar with the laws and didn't have paperwork, so we couldn't buy it. :( The shrine will also be open during market hours, and it's fun to visit. The shrine has lucky stone cows all over, which you can rub for good luck. If you're feeling shrine fatigue, I wouldn't say it's different enough to make the trip just to see the shrine, but if you're already there for the market, it's worth a quick look around. With so many stalls to shop through, you should allow several hours to see it all. You can get to the market via the 101 Kyoto City Bus from Kyoto Station, and Kinkaku-ji Shrine (the "golden shrine") is just one stop further on the same line, so you could combine both in a half-day. If you do take the bus, spring for the one-day pass and save some $$! For one-of-a-kind gifts, souvenirs, or just treasures to take back home for yourself, this is a great market and one of our favorite activities in Kyoto! If you're here during the 25th of the month, I'd consider this a must-see.

Like the Toji Kobosan on the 21st, Kitanotenmangu hosts the Tenjinsan market on the 25th of each month. If the day falls on a weekend then there are much more people there than usual. You can find all sorts of stands and items from food stalls with free samples, kimonos for as cheap as ¥200, antiques, crafts, pottery and even samurai armor.

This "Tenjin-Ichi" is held every month on 25th at Kitano-Tenmangu. Kitano-Tenmangu is called by the local people, "Kitano-san" or " (25th is related to "Sugawara no Michizane", a historical politican in Kyoto and the enshried deity of Kitano-Tenmangu. It is said that he was born in 25th of June and died on 25 th of Feb.) This Tenjin-Ichi wil start from 6:00 AM till 4:00 PM. The product that are sold here are various, but this market is one of the best place to by daily stuffs in a very cheap price. There will be some shops that sales foods and drinks. Some shops sales Kimono, Obi, other traditional textile in a very cheap price (most of the Kimono or obi are secound handed). There are various tablewares, interiors and accessories sold. There are antiques, vintages and handmade new products so it takes a lot of time to find what I want. And sometimes I end up buying things that I was not expecting to. But most time I can get things in a very cheap price by negosiating with the shop owners. It is fun to negociate and also ask about the products.

One of my favourite festivals! Since I moved to Kyoto, I have been in here so many times with my sister and grandmother who used to live nearby. Now she is not living there though. The popular store is Takoyaki occupying close to the entrance gate. Almost every time I went, there were a long line. This festival is held at the 25th of every months. At December 25 it is called 終い天神 Shimai Tenjin that is as the conclusion of a year. Many students or their parents visit to pray God's mercy. The entrance exam is held on January to March. Without expectation, I did and got a charm! I don't know it's helpful of not but I did succeed!!!!