Kitano Tenmangu (北野天満宮), I walked the quiet valley of leaves

On the day, when I wanted to visit Kitano Tenmangu, it was 25th of Oct, and each 25th, they have small festa in this Kitano Shrine.

It is a large shrine, and crowded.

About Kitano Tenmangu

The god in this shrine is Michizane SUGAWARA (菅原道真), aka Tenjn (天神) lived in late 800s. If you want to know about his tragedy and the reason why he was enshrined, please see also here: Fukuoka: Dazaifu Tennamgu (Shrine) is famous for Plum flowers

I wanted to visit Ninna-ji and this Kitano on the same day. Emperor Uda of Ninna-ji is the very the Emperor who promoted Michizane, and Emperor Daigo (the son and successor of Uda) exiled Michizane from Kyoto to Dazaifu. Uda tried to stop Daigo to do, but he could not.

Festa in 25th

As I had mentioned in this article before, they have festa in each 25th, 25th of June is his birth day, and 25th of Feb is his dead day.

It can be also fun to see. There are some treats, foods, and something funny.

Shrine

The shrine is many people, but not fully filled.

Michizane was considered kind of a devil and this shrine is for him. It is not the shrine for Damon, this shrine is to console his raged soul.

Now, Michizane is considered as a god for study because he was also a great scholar.

If you see young people, they may be praying for him to help their important examinations.

Garden

What I liked is their Garden. The shrine itself is free to visit, but to enter the garden, you have to pay (¥800). It is seasonal, and not always open.

When the leaves turn to red, it can be filled by people, but late of Oct 2018, the leaves are mostly green, and few people are walking.

Historically, in this valley garden is also famous as the ruin of the Earthwork for flood in late 1500, but by Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI (豊臣秀吉).

Treats

Tea and a small snack are included in the ticket of the garden. Enjoy!

The taste was not too much sweeten, but if you dislike sweet baked beans, please pay attention.

I also bought this sweet, Dango, a dumpling coated by black sugar syrup with bean flour, which is cost ¥150.

Manners

In this shrine does not ban to take photos, and upload on the net.

Indeed, using drone is not allowed, as Japanese other historical/ public area, and also if you are there with professional photographers, guess it is not welcomed. If you need professional or commercial photographers, I strongly recommend to ask the shrine.

Way to go

I took a bus to Kitano on 9:00, I had thought that the rush hour for the locals are over, but actually it was fully filled bus, I could not sit down the sheet.

I wanted to take neither a fully filled bus, nor walk (I was tired to walk for long every day!), I walked to Randen Kitano-Hakubaicho Station and take a tram to Omuro Ninna-ji Station.