Kitano Tenmangu

This Shinto shrine in northwestern Kyoto honors Sugawara no Michizane, the Heian-era scholar later deified as Tenjin, patron of learning. Founded in the tenth century to appease his vengeful spirit, it draws students praying for exam success. Bronze and stone ox statues, said to bring luck when rubbed, dot the grounds. The precinct is famous for a plum orchard of some two thousand trees that blossom in late winter, and a lively flea market fills the approach on the 25th of each month.