Seimei Shrine
Kitano, Kyoto
- Daily
- 9:00 to 17:00
Open every day. The amulet counter closes at 16:30.
Source: seimeijinja.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Seimei Shrine honours Abe no Seimei, the Heian-era yin-yang diviner, and his five-pointed star crest hangs on the torii where most shrines put their name. The spout of the Seimei well is turned at the start of spring each year to face that year's lucky direction.
Insider tip
It's free and open 9:00 to 17:00 every day. Ichijo Modoribashi, the bridge where Watanabe no Tsuna is said to have cut off a demon's arm, crosses the Horikawa 100 m south, and the old bridge's posts now stand in the grounds next to a statue of a shikigami spirit.
What's on at Seimei Shrine
Upcoming events at Seimei Shrine and within a ten-minute walk, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Seimei-sai at Seimei Shrine
晴明祭
Time Eve 19:00, procession 13:00 to 18:00 Station Ichijo Modoribashi Seimei-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 9, 12)
The festival of the shrine to the court diviner Abe no Seimei, on the autumn equinox and the night before. The eve has yudate kagura at 19:00 and a lantern procession of about 100 local children, and on the day the mikoshi leaves at 13:00 behind a boys' fife and drum band and goes round the parish until 18:00.
Fg2, Public domain Heian court dress and maiko dress-up experience at Nishijin Textile Center
十二単・束帯・芸舞妓・花嫁の装い体験
Time 10:00 and 13:00 Station City bus stop Horikawa-Imadegawa, 1 to 2 min walk
Dress-up sessions in twelve-layer court robes, sokutai, maiko or bridal kimono at 10:00 and 13:00 from 1 November. Reservation form on the organiser page. Closed Mondays and 29 Dec to 3 Jan.
Lundariokn45, CC BY-SA 4.0 Nishijin-ori Haku 2026
西陣織博2026
Time Sat 10:00 to 17:00, Sun 10:00 to 17:00 (kitchen cars Sat 11:00 to 17:00, Sun 11:00 to 16:00) Station Horikawa-Imadegawa bus stop, 1 to 2 min walk
The Nishijin textile trade show with new obi, kimono and kinran on the 5th and 6th floors, demonstrations of weaving preparation crafts on the 1st floor, a paid hands-on workshop, short kimono mini-concerts and kitchen cars in the west car park. Parking is closed on both days.
Lundariokn45, CC BY-SA 4.0 Raku Special Exhibition: Chrysanthemums in Full Bloom (Kikka Ryoran)
樂歴代 特別展 菊花繚乱
Time 10:00 to 16:30 (last entry 16:00), closed Mondays unless a holiday Station Imadegawa (Karasuma Line), exit 6, 13 min walk
The Raku Museum shows how successive generations of the Raku family treated the chrysanthemum motif, which appears in Raku work earlier than the Edo-period chrysanthemum craze.
Spring Grand Festival at Shiramine Shrine
白峯神宮春季例大祭
Station Horikawa-Imadegawa bus stop
Shiramine Shrine's spring festival is followed by a kemari football rite at the Jinushi shrine, and visitors can try kemari themselves. Held in rain.
Smaller local events nearby
Ohitaki-sai Fire Rite at Seimei Shrine Festival
Mon 23 Nov · Seimei Shrine, Imperial Palace
On 23 November priests burn a sacred fire in a rite that limited numbers of visitors may enter the shrine hall to join.
Map · Source: Seimei Shrine · 御火焚祭（晴明神社）
New Year Rite (Saitan-sai) at Seimei Shrine Festival
Fri 1 Jan · Seimei Shrine, Imperial Palace
At 8:00 on 1 January the shrine offers water drawn from the Seimei well at 6:00, and visitors queue to pray from just after midnight.
Map · Source: Seimei Shrine · 歳旦祭（晴明神社）
Nearby
Around Kitano
Tenjin's head shrine, Kyoto's oldest geisha district and Daitoku-ji
Start at Kitano Tenmangu, head shrine of about 12,000 Tenjin shrines, founded in 947 for Sugawara no Michizane, the scholar students still pray to before exams. Come on the 25th, when the Tenjin-san Market fills the approach and the lanterns are lit after dark. Kamishichiken, Kyoto's oldest geisha district, lines the shrine's east approach, and Daitoku-ji's Zen temples are about 1.7 km north-east.
Kitano has 25 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 10 shrines and temples, 3 cafes, 3 shops, 2 restaurants, 2 bathhouses, 1 viewpoint, 1 neighbourhood, 1 museum, 1 bar and 1 market. Read the Kitano guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Seimei Shrine?
- 806 Seimei-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市上京区晴明町806（堀川通一条上ル）).
- What are the opening hours of Seimei Shrine?
- Daily 9:00 to 17:00. Open every day. The amulet counter closes at 16:30.
- How do I get to Seimei Shrine?
- The nearest station is Ichijo Modoribashi Seimei-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 9, 12). Seimei Shrine is in Kitano, Kyoto.
- How much does Seimei Shrine cost?
- Nothing. Seimei Shrine is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Seimei Shrine?
- Plan for 20 min.
- When is the best time to visit Seimei Shrine?
- Weekday mornings.
Stay near Seimei Shrine
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