Goō Shrine Audio Guide

Goou Shrine: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Goou Shrine

   Welcome to Goou Shrine, known in Japanese as Goō Jinja. It stands in Kamigyō Ward in the heart of Kyoto, just west of the Kyoto Imperial Palace and across from the palace's Hamaguri Gate. If you are expecting the usual pair of stone guardian lions at the entrance, prepare for a surprise. The guardians here are wild boars, and that is why people fondly call this place the Boar Shrine. The shrine honors two historical figures: Wake no Kiyomaro, who advised Emperor Kanmu on moving the capital to Heian-kyō and who helped bring that city into being, and his elder sister Wake no Hiromushi, who cared for orphans left without family by the turmoil of her age. In the next few minutes you will hear how a mountain-temple shrine became a guardian of the palace, how boars came to stand where lions normally would, and why people come here to pray for healthy legs and feet. So take a slow breath, and imagine the quiet lanes around the palace grounds. We will begin with the story behind the shrine's name.

2. 02

   Goou Shrine: Two Siblings Who Protected the Throne

   To understand Goou Shrine, start with the man it enshrines. Wake no Kiyomaro urged Emperor Kanmu to relocate the capital, and he contributed to building Heian-kyō, the city we now call Kyoto. His sister Wake no Hiromushi is remembered for raising the many orphans left behind by war and unrest. The siblings are also tied to a famous crisis known as the Usa Hachiman oracle incident. They were sentenced to exile in the course of it, yet they are remembered for having protected the imperial line. That reputation lasted for centuries. In 1851, Emperor Kōmei honored Kiyomaro with the divine title Goō Daimyōjin and the highest rank in the Shinto hierarchy, Shōichii, the first rank. The emperor himself bestowing such a rank on a subject was exceptional. The tribute also set the course for the shrine's name. In 1874, the shrine that had held Kiyomaro's spirit was renamed Goou Shrine and given the status of Bekkaku Kanpeisha, a special class of imperial shrine. The name carries the sense of protecting the sovereign, and it fits the loyalty the siblings are remembered for.

3. 03

   Goou Shrine: From a Mountain Temple to the Palace Gate

   Goou Shrine did not always stand beside the palace. Its roots lie in the hills to the west of the city, on Mount Takao, at the temple Jingo-ji. That temple was the family temple of the Wake clan, and a small shrine to Kiyomaro, then called Goō Zenjin Shrine, was set up within its grounds. The exact year of its founding is unknown, but that is the origin of everything you see here today. In 1886, by imperial order of Emperor Meiji, the shrine moved to its present site beside the Kyoto Imperial Palace, to serve as a guardian of the palace. The site faces the Hamaguri Gate and is said to have been the former residence of the Nakain family. At the time of the move, Kiyomaro's sister Hiromushi was enshrined alongside him. A naval footnote hangs inside the worship hall. The heavy cruiser Takao of the Imperial Japanese Navy had a shrine aboard that was dedicated to Goou Shrine, because the ship was named for Mount Takao, so a plaque of the cruiser Takao is displayed in the hall. It is a quiet reminder of how far a mountain's name can travel.

4. 04

   Goou Shrine: Boars, Healthy Legs and Seasonal Rites

   Now to the boars. Legend tells that when Kiyomaro was sent into exile toward Usa Hachiman, 300 wild boars guarded his road. In the tale, he had also been left unable to walk well, and his legs recovered. This is why Goou Shrine is honored as a protector of legs and feet, and why people pray here for recovery from leg and hip ailments and injuries. When the shrine moved to the palace, Kyoto citizens asked for boar statues in place of guardian dogs, and a male and female pair were set before the worship hall. That was the beginning of the komainoshishi, the guardian boars. Keep an eye out for a lucky boar spirit at the hand-washing pavilion and a stone wishing boar at the base of the ogatama tree near the main hall. In front of the shrine office, a shelf holds a collection of boar-themed items from around the country, said to number in the thousands. There is also a large quince tree inside the main gate, 14 meters tall with a trunk one and a half meters thick, regarded as a sacred tree that wards off asthma. The calendar adds color. On April 4, the Goō Grand Festival marks the anniversary of Kiyomaro's death, converted to the modern calendar, and its procession toward the front of the palace's Kenreimon Gate can be watched by anyone. On November 1, the Boar Festival, or Inoko Festival, recreates an old court ceremony. A monthly leg and foot festival is held on the twenty-first at 3 p.m.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   As you linger near Goou Shrine, notice how much it holds in a small space: a general of the capital's founding, his compassionate sister, a mountain temple's memory, and a flock of boars standing where lions might be. Before you move on, try spotting how many boar figures you can find, from the guardian pair to the small carvings by the hand-washing pavilion and the wishing boar beneath the tree. Then glance toward the Kyoto Imperial Palace just beside you and consider why a guardian of the throne was placed at this very gate. If your visit falls near April 4 or November 1, you might catch a procession or a revived court rite. Even on an ordinary day, the shrine rewards a patient wander.