Kyoto

Shimogoryo Shrine in Kyoto

Autumn leaves at an ancient Kyoto Shrine

Cathy Cawood Nov 12, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>Pink-toned maple leaves with the with the beautiful roof shape of the shrine's main hall in the background</p>

<p>The roof of this small shrine has a heavy coat of moss</p>

<p>Looking through the shrine's ceremonial stage</p>

<p>Yellow leaves have been swept into a small pile</p>

<p>Looking along a path between shrine buildings</p>

<p>There are donated sake barrels stacked beside the gate</p>

<p>I'm always fascinated by the beautiful designs on the decorative tiles that cap the plaster wall</p>

<p>A red torii marks the shrine entrance on Teramachi Street</p>

<p>The plaster is crumbling away on the wall facing the street</p>

<p>A quaint shop on the street corner opposite with the shrine in the background</p>

This small Heian Era shrine is a peaceful oasis located on Teramachi Street near Demachianagi in Kyoto. It was founded in 863 to make peace with the angry spirits of the dead (at that time people believed those spirits caused problems like famine and sickness as revenge.) If such angry spirits existed, the quiet beauty of this shrine would probably succeed in calming them down! I visited in autumn, and there were yellow leaves scattered over the grounds, but the maple trees were just starting to turn, and were showing a beautiful pink tinge.

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...