Home Travel Japan See Hundreds of Lanterns Lit Up at Night in Yasaka Shrine!

See Hundreds of Lanterns Lit Up at Night in Yasaka Shrine!

February 25, 2023

Yasaka Shrine, also known as Gion Shrine, is one of the well-known and famous shrines in Kyoto.

After our Ginkaku-ji Temple adventure, we decided to roam around with the bikes we have borrowed out from Rio’s Hostel Ginkakuji. This hostel is just 5-10 mins away from Ginkaku-ji Temple, the Silver Pavillion, if by bike. We decided to explore more of the area and so we went to Philosopher’s Path as well as it’s only a few minutes away from Ginkaku-ji Temple.

Down the path and within the area was Gion District, known for its shops and a Geisha ground. Just across the Gion street, was the Yasaka Shrine.

We got there just after the sun sets, it’s a colorful orange in the day and a wonderfully lit up park at night. The lanterns you see in this shrine are named after every sponsor in Gion district’s festival every July, known as Gion Matsuri.

In addition to Yasaka Shrine hosting the Gion Matsuri, Yasaka Shrine (Gion Shrine) welcomes thousands and millions of visitors, local and foreign, every year especially for Japanese traditional rituals and new year celebrations. It’s also the way to Maruyama Park where every Spring season, is a park full of hanami or a Cherry Blossoms viewing site.

This is where we met a few Japanese girls in Kimono too. We were glad to have a photo with some of them. The lanterns were beautifully lit up and aligned to a perfect angle, covering the hall, lighting up the shrine.

There’s so much to see in here. The shrine was large enough and there are too many sights to be seen. You can be here for a day, sipping your own cup of coffee, or enjoying yourself while reading a book, you would never be bored. Across the shrine is the Gion shopping district, you may grab some stuff before heading out to the shrine or go geisha hunting for a while.

The closest train stations are Gion Shijo Station on the Keihan Line and Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Line.

Alternatively, the 20-30 minute walk from Kiyomizudera Temple through the narrow lanes of the Higashiyama District to Yasaka Shrine is highly recommended.