Matsunoo Taisha Audio Guide

Matsunoo Taisha: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Matsunoo Taisha

   Welcome to Matsunoo Taisha, written 松尾大社 in Japanese, a Shinto shrine in the Nishikyo ward of western Kyoto. It stands in the Arashiyama Miyamachi area, just south of the famous Arashiyama district and on the west bank of the Katsura River. Locals often call it simply Matsuo-san, a friendly nickname for a very old and very important place. Here is a neat way to place yourself on the map. Kyoto's great east-west avenue, Shijo Street, begins at Yasaka Shrine on its eastern end and finishes here at Matsunoo Taisha on its western end. Behind the shrine rises Matsuo Mountain, which is the sacred body of the shrine itself. The precinct is said to cover about 120,000 tsubo, an old Japanese land measure, and that includes the mountain slope behind the buildings. Over the next few stops, we will look at the shrine's ancient founding, its famous link to sake and miso, and a main hall built in a style you will not find everywhere. Let's begin.

2. 02

   Matsunoo Taisha and the Hata Clan

   Matsunoo Taisha is said to have been founded in the year 701, by members of the powerful Hata clan. That is nearly a century before Kyoto became the capital of Japan in 794. The founder is named as Hata no Imiki Tori. So this shrine was already looking over the Katsura River valley long before the imperial court arrived. The Hata clan also gave the shrine one of its most intriguing legends. Tradition tells of a Hata woman washing clothes in the Kuzuno River when an arrow floated down from upstream. She took it home and stuck it above her door. Though she had no husband, she became pregnant and bore a son. The arrow above the door, the story concludes, was the great deity of Matsuo. The same account describes the Kamo clan as sons-in-law of the Hata. Historians read this tale in two ways. Some think the Hata folded older Kamo traditions into their own story. Others see a memory of the two clans, the great powers of the Kyoto basin before the capital, joining by marriage to hold shared rituals. Even the festivals echo each other, since both Matsuo and Kamo celebrate with a ceremony called Aoi.

3. 03

   Matsunoo Taisha: Sake, Water and Sacred Gods

   Now let's talk about what brings so many visitors here: sake. Matsunoo Taisha is revered as the ancestral deity of Japanese brewing, and sake and miso makers have long come to pray for prosperous business. Near the entrance, you will notice sake barrels stacked up like a small mountain. They are offerings from brewers in different regions. The shrine also has a sacred spring known as Kame-no-i, the Turtle Well. Visitors have long drawn water from it, and tradition holds that sake brewed with a little of this spring water added will not spoil. Turtles and carp are the shrine's divine messengers, so keep an eye out for the turtle imagery as you walk. The main deities add to the story. Oyamagui no Kami is a mountain god who, in the ancient chronicle Kojiki, is linked to both Mount Hiei and Matsuo Mountain. Alongside him is Ichikishimahime no Mikoto, a goddess associated with water transport. In a subsidiary shrine on the south side, the moon god Tsukuyomi is also enshrined. Over time, this shrine has been looked to for protection in matters such as land clearing, flood control, construction, commerce, long life, travel and safe childbirth.

4. 04

   The Honden of Matsunoo Taisha and Its Gardens

   The main sanctuary, or Honden, is the architectural star. It was built during the Oei era, between 1394 and 1428, and substantially repaired in 1542. In a city where fire has destroyed so many ancient wooden buildings, this one survived, making it one of the oldest in Kyoto. It is designated an Important Cultural Property. Look closely at the roof. Most shrines in Kyoto use the nagare-zukuri style, where the roof is longer in front and shorter behind. Here the gabled roof sweeps down equally long at front and back, in a rare form called ryonagare-zukuri, also known as Matsuo-zukuri. It is covered in cypress bark, and the ends of the ridge box curve in a decorative shape called karahafu. The warm wood and bark contrast with the white walls between the pillars. The shrine also guards a remarkable collection of divine statues. Three are Important Cultural Properties, two male and one female, and 16 more are designated by Kyoto Prefecture. Then there are the gardens of Shofuen, three differently styled gardens using more than 200 stones. In late April, around 3,000 yamabuki, or kerria, bloom in golden yellow along the Ichinoi River between the tower gate and the main hall.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off from Matsunoo Taisha

   Matsunoo Taisha has carried many roles across the centuries. It is one of the Twenty-Two Shrines, a group of special importance to the imperial court, which sent envoys with offerings in times of national crisis or natural disaster. Its official name today dates only from 1950, when the shrine, earlier called Matsunoo Jinja, was renamed. As you wander, try noticing how the story layers together. The mountain behind you is the sacred body of the shrine, the spring below gives water for brewing, and the main hall holds a roofline you will rarely see elsewhere. On your way out, you might look for the turtles, glance back at the stacked barrels, or follow the Ichinoi River as it winds through the precinct. And if you ever find yourself at the western end of Shijo Street, you will know exactly where the long road leads.