Shrine

Waratenjin Shrine

Kinkakuji, Kyoto

Address
10 Kinugasa Tenjinmori-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto 〒603-8375 京都市北区衣笠天神森町10

Source: waratenjin.com, checked 11 Oct 2026.

The worship hall of Waratenjin Shrine (Shikichi Jinja) in Kyoto, with stone lanterns on the gravel forecourt
Photo: Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Waratenjin, formally Shikichi Jinja, is the shrine people visit to pray for a safe birth. Its charm holds a piece of straw, and the old saying goes that a knot in the straw means a boy and no knot means a girl. The shrine believes it was founded before Kyoto became the capital.

Nearest station Waratenjin-mae bus stop (City Bus 204, 205)
Cost Free
Time needed 15 min
Best time Last Sunday of October
Free

Insider tip

The grounds are free. Charms are given out at the shrine office from 8:30 to 17:00 every day, and you don't need to book. On the first Sunday in April there's archery and a mikoshi procession. The autumn festival, on the last Sunday of October (25 October in 2026), has kyogen and a tea seat.

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What's on near Waratenjin Shrine

Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Waratenjin Shrine, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.

Performance

Meigetsu-sai at Hirano Shrine

名月祭（平野神社）

15 Sept (dates to be confirmed) Hirano Shrine, Kitano

Time Rite 18:30, performances from 19:00 Station Kinugasako-mae bus stop (City Bus)

A harvest moon rite at 18:30, then folk song, dance, koto, shakuhachi and gagaku from 19:00, with matcha served for a fee.

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Cherry trees in bloom in front of the halls of Hirano Shrine lienyuan lee, CC BY 3.0
Festival ¥500 stamp fee

Nishioji Seven Lucky Shrines Stamp Walk (Hirano Shrine)

西大路七福社ご利益めぐり

1 Jan to 28 Feb (dates to be confirmed) Hirano Shrine, Kitano

Station Kitano-Hakubaicho (Randen Kitano Line), about 15 min walk

Hirano Shrine is one of seven shrines along Nishioji-dori where visitors collect goshuin stamps from New Year to the end of February, in any order, with a keepsake zodiac figure for completing all seven.

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Cherry trees in bloom in front of the halls of Hirano Shrine lienyuan lee, CC BY 3.0
Festival

Fudo Hall Opening Service at Kinkaku-ji

不動堂開扉法要

3 Feb Kinkaku-ji (Rokuon-ji), Kinkakuji

Time 09:00 to 10:45 and 12:00 to 15:00 Station Kinkakuji-michi bus stop

On 3 February the hidden stone Fudo Myoo statue, said to be by Kobo Daishi, is opened for a service.

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The Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji reflected in its pond among pines John Mason, CC BY 4.0
Exhibition On now ¥600 adult, ¥450 high school and university, ¥300 age 65+, free for junior high and under

Muses: The Models Who Inspired Insho's Art

〈開館60周年記念〉特別企画展Ⅱ モデルになったミューズたち

15 Oct to 20 Dec Kyoto Prefectural Insho Domoto Museum of Fine Arts, Kinkakuji

Time 9:30 to 17:00 (last entry 30 minutes before closing) Station Ritsumeikan Daigaku-mae bus stop (City Bus), right outside

Paintings by Domoto Insho of women from his student years to his late career, shown for the museum's 60th anniversary. Closed Mondays except 23 Nov, and closed 24 Nov.

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The white facade of the Insho-Domoto Museum of Fine Arts, covered in Domoto Insho's relief patterns, with its name sign Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert, CC BY 4.0

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Nearby

Hirano Shrine Shrine · 5 min walk Hirano Shrine grows about 400 cherry trees of some 60 varieties, many of which started here, so something's in flower for about six weeks from... Kinkaku-ji Temple · 5 min walk Kinkaku-ji's formal name is Rokuon-ji, and it started life as the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who began building here in 1397. Kyoto Museum for World Peace Museum · 6 min walk Ritsumeikan University opened this museum in 1992 and calls it the world's first peace museum run by a university. Fruit Parlor Cricket Cafe · 6 min walk Fruit Parlor Cricket has been a fruit specialist since 1974, opened by an owner who traded at Kyoto's central wholesale market. Insho-Domoto Museum of Fine Arts Museum · 7 min walk The painter Domoto Insho designed this museum himself, inside and out, and opened it in 1966. Kitano Tenmangu Shrine · 9 min walk Kitano Tenmangu is the head shrine of the roughly 12,000 Tenjin shrines across Japan, founded in 947 for Sugawara no Michizane, the scholar students...

Around Kinkakuji

Three World Heritage temples on one road under Mount Kinugasa

Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji and Ninna-ji all sit on Kinukake-no-Michi, a road that climbs about 2.5 km from Omuro-Ninnaji Station up to the Golden Pavilion. Start at Ryoan-ji, which opens at 8:00 from March to November, an hour before Kinkaku-ji. South of the road, Myoshin-ji's grounds don't close at all, and they hold more than 40 subtemples.

Kinkakuji has 14 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 9 shrines and temples, 2 museums, 1 cafe, 1 restaurant and 1 viewpoint. Read the Kinkakuji guide.

Good to know

What is the address of Waratenjin Shrine?
10 Kinugasa Tenjinmori-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市北区衣笠天神森町10).
How do I get to Waratenjin Shrine?
The nearest station is Waratenjin-mae bus stop (City Bus 204, 205). Waratenjin Shrine is in Kinkakuji, Kyoto.
How much does Waratenjin Shrine cost?
Nothing. Waratenjin Shrine is free to visit.
How long do you need at Waratenjin Shrine?
Plan for 15 min.
When is the best time to visit Waratenjin Shrine?
Last Sunday of October.

Stay near Waratenjin Shrine

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