Heian Shrine

Heian Shrine is a bold, oversized echo of Kyoto's imperial past, built in 1895 to mark eleven hundred years since the city was founded as the capital. Though young by the standards of the ancient capital, it commemorates the emperors who bracket Kyoto's long reign and has become one of its most striking landmarks.

Its architecture is a scaled reproduction of the original Heian-period palace, rendered in brilliant vermilion and green. A vast gravel courtyard spreads before the main hall, framed by symmetrical pavilions and dominated by a great torii gate that rises over the approach, among the largest in the country. The scale is deliberately grand, evoking the grandeur of the ninth-century court.

The garden behind the halls is the real treasure. A large strolling garden in the shinen style wraps around the buildings, threading past ponds, stepping-stone paths and a covered bridge. It is renowned for its weeping cherry trees in spring, when the blossoms hang in pink curtains over the water, and for irises and autumn color later in the year.

Ceremony animates the shrine. The Jidai Matsuri, or Festival of the Ages, held each October, sets out from here with a long costumed procession tracing Japanese history through the centuries, one of Kyoto's three great festivals.

For visitors, Heian Shrine is easy and rewarding. It lies in the Okazaki cultural district near several museums and a short bus or walk from the city center. Entry to the shrine grounds is free, while the garden charges a modest fee well worth paying for its seasonal displays. The bright buildings and spacious courtyard make it a photogenic stop, best combined with the surrounding art galleries and the nearby canal, and most pleasant in the softer light of morning.