Kitaoka Shrine

Overview

Kitaoka Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the Kasuga district of Nishi Ward, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. It is said to have been founded in 934 during the Heian period, when a divided spirit of the Gion Shrine in Kyoto was enshrined here. Within Kumamoto City it is regarded as an old shrine of a standing comparable to Fujisaki Hachimangu.

Highlights

• ●An old shrine said to have been founded in 934
• ●Origins tied to the enshrinement of a divided spirit from Kyoto's Gion Shrine
• ●Its former names, Gionsha and Giongu
• ●A standing ranked alongside Fujisaki Hachimangu in the city

History

According to shrine tradition, it was founded in 934 during the Heian period when a divided spirit of Kyoto's Gion Shrine was enshrined. Formerly called Gionsha or Giongu, it was renamed Kitaoka-gu in 1868 following the prohibition on the mingling of Shinto and Buddhism, and took its current name in 1872. Traces of the old name survive in the Gion Bridge over the Tsuboi River about 200 meters to the east and in the Gionbashi tram stop.

Map

32.7931, 130.6919 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Walk to Kitaoka Shrine from a nearby Kumamoto City tram stop
2. 2Take in the history of the precinct said to date to 934
3. 3Stroll around Gion Bridge over the Tsuboi River, which recalls the old shrine name
4. 4Continue to sightseeing facilities in the surrounding city

Did you know?

💡 The name Gion Bridge, derived from the shrine's former name Gionsha, survives today in a nearby bridge and a tram stop.

Nearby spots