Welcome to Ai's travel guide. Today, I will take you to Yasaka Shrine, a power spot known worldwide for its Gion Festival, one of Japan's three major festivals. Come walk with me through the grounds of Yasaka Shrine, experience its mystery, and receive blessings from the powerful gods.

   Yasaka Shrine, located in Gion, Kyoto's pleasure district, is the head shrine of the Gion shrines nationwide, and is affectionately known as "Gion-san." As you walk north along Shimogawara Street, a street paved with stone pavement typical of Kyoto, you will see the stone torii gate, which was restored in the 17th century after collapsing in an earthquake and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. If you pass through this torii gate, you will find the South Tower Gate, which is the main gate of Yasaka Shrine. On Shimogawara Street, there is the Yasaka Pagoda, the symbol of Gion, and it continues through Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka to Kiyomizu Temple. Although it is not the main gate of Yasaka Shrine, the West Tower Gate, which faces the busy Shijo-dori Street and is designated as a national important cultural property, has become famous as a symbol of Yasaka Shrine.

Yasaka Shrine became famous as a shrine to ward off evil spirits during the Heian period in the 8th century, when the Gion Festival quelled the epidemic. Nowadays, for one month in July, Kyoto is enveloped in the excitement of the Gion Festival, accompanied by the Gion Bayashi, a musical ensemble performed with drums, flutes, and other traditional instruments. As you can see, the parade floats called 'Yamahoko' are decorated with lanterns. In particular, the famous and popular 23 Yamahoko floats are paraded during the pre-festival called 'Saki-matsuri' on the 17th July, and 11 Yamahoko floats are paraded during the after-festival called 'Ato-matsuri' on the 24th July.

The main shrine, which has been designated as a national treasure, reproduces the architectural style passed down from the Heian period. The main shrine enshrines strong gods such as "Susano no Mikoto", who slayed the ’Yamata no Orochi’, a legendary serpent with eight heads and eight tails. Below the main shrine, there is said to be a bottomless well called the Dragon Hole, where the Blue Dragon resides, which is known as a power spot, and,it is believed to possess strong divine blessings, including warding off misfortune, fostering relationships, academic success, abundant harvests, household safety, and prosperity in business. The "Gion's Sacred Water," which springs from underground beneath the main shrine, is known locally as "power water" because it can imbue one with vitality. Additionally, nearby is the subsidiary shrine called "Utsukushi-gozen-sha", where worshipers pay homage to the three beautiful goddesses born from the sword of "Susano no Mikoto", known as the deity of beauty. This shrine is popular among women, as the sacred water that springs forth in front of it is believed to enhance beauty, both physically and spiritually. This water, known as beauty water, is highly esteemed among Gion's Maikos, Geishas, and in the cosmetics industry.

On the west side of the main shrine, there is ’Akuoji’ Shrine, which dedicated to a strong god, and his blessings will be tremendous. In addition, within the precincts, there are many subsidiary shrines that offer blessings in various fields, such as Knife Shrine, which holds a memorial service for knives, Daijingu Shrine, which prays for physical health, and Itsukushima Shrine and Ota Shrine, which have blessings for beauty and entertainment. Please be sure to receive these blessings.

   Thank you for watching until the end. Yasaka Shrine has admission fee and is open 24 hours a day, so be sure to include it in your Kyoto travel plans. We look forward to hearing your opinions and impressions regarding Yasaka Shrine. I have posted a map of Yasaka Shrine and related websites in the description section, so please refer to it. It would be very encouraging if you gave us a high rating and subscribed to the channel. see you soon. Well then, goodbye!