Heian Jingu (Heian Grand Shrine)

Located in Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, this shrine enshrines Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Komei. It was founded in 1895 (Meiji 28) as the centerpiece of the Fourth National Industrial Promotion Exposition held in Kyoto to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the capital's relocation to Heian-kyo. Initially, only Emperor Kanmu was enshrined; Emperor Komei was added in 1940 (Showa 15). The shrine buildings are a restoration of the Chodo-in (the main administrative hall of the Dairi, or Imperial Palace) of Heian-kyo, reconstructed at approximately five-eighths of the original scale. The vermilion Daikokuden (Great Hall of State), Soryu-ro (Azure Dragon Tower), and Byakko-ro (White Tiger Tower) preserve the magnificent appearance of the past. The Shinden-en (Shrine Garden) spreading behind the buildings is a pond and stroll garden created over more than 20 years by the 7th-generation Ogawa Jubei and is designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty. It is a famous spot for the Akane-shidarezakura (red weeping cherry blossoms) and represents one of the iconic landscapes of Kyoto in spring.