Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Grotte de Glace
Sinquerim Beach Bastion
Port Tobacco Schoolhouse
Barracks / munitions storage.
Vloethemveld
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The 2,653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail spans the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.
Meet the Volunteers Who Keep Thru-Hikers Moving
about 7 hours ago
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House building on the U.S.-Canadian border.
Could New Border Restrictions Literally Tear the Haskell Free Library Apart?
about 14 hours ago
A woman peering into the cave of Sarah Bishop c. 1900.
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism
about 19 hours ago
The Big Well
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.
1 day ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Kyoto Yasaka Kōshin-dō Temple
AO Edited

Yasaka Kōshin-dō Temple

This compact temple is filled with garlands of colorful balls that represent restrained monkeys.

Kyoto, Japan

Added By
AdOYo
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  AdOYo / Atlas Obscura User
  AdOYo / Atlas Obscura User
  AdOYo / Atlas Obscura User
  AdOYo / Atlas Obscura User
  AdOYo / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Yasaka Kōshin-dō is a distinctive temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district, close to the city’s famous Kiyomizu-dera pagoda. Yasaka Kōshin-dō, as a rare example of a Kōshin temple, presents a cultural and religious tapestry of Buddhist, Taoist, and Shinto elements. 

Yasaka Kōshin-dō’s most iconic feature is its vibrant kukurizaru, small balls of bright fabric bearing wishes and confessions. These colourful kukurizaru are gathered in garlands, creating stunning walls of color around the temple. Though pretty, each kukurizaru represents a bound monkey whose hands and feet have been restrained, symbolising restraint from undesirable behaviour. According to Kōshin belief, by presenting your desire in such a way, your wishes will be granted and your self-control will improve. 

The temple’s unique, monkey-inspired, kukurizaru fulfil a similar role to ema, the wooden plaques commonly found in other Japanese shrines and temples, which are also inspired by animals. Ema, meaning "picture-horse," are so named since horses were considered the messengers and vehicles of Kami (Shinto deities).

Related Tags

Buddhism Monkeys Religion Color Temples
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

AdOYo

Published

October 3, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Yasaka Kōshin-dō Temple
Kyoto, 605-0828
Japan
34.998324, 135.77873

Nearby Places

Starbucks Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya

Kyoto, Japan

miles away

Rokudō Chin’nōji Temple

Kyoto, Japan

miles away

Yasui Kompira-gu Shrine

Kyoto, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kyoto

Kyoto

Japan

Places 46
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Starbucks Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya

Kyoto, Japan

miles away

Rokudō Chin’nōji Temple

Kyoto, Japan

miles away

Yasui Kompira-gu Shrine

Kyoto, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kyoto

Kyoto

Japan

Places 46
Stories 5

Related Places

  • Tokyo, Japan

    Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple

    A grand Buddhist temple with Indian influences.

  • One of the halls adorned with contemporary Buddhist art.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Wat Sutthi Wararam

    Displaying religious art made almost exclusively in modern styles helps set this Buddhist temple apart from the myriad others in Bangkok.

  • A worn statue of a Japanese monk picks his nose.

    Kawagoe, Japan

    Five Hundred Arhats

    Hundreds of statues of Buddha’s disciples meditating, napping, sneezing, and picking their noses.

  • Buddhist guardian deities.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Shibamata Taishakuten's Sculpture Gallery

    A hidden gallery exhibits intricate, decades-old Buddhist reliefs.

  • Mahakal Mandir

    Darjeeling, India

    Mahakal Mandir

    At this unique temple in Darjeeling, Hindu and Buddhist practices co-exist harmoniously.

  • Sasaguri, Japan

    Nanzoin Temple

    A serene mountaintop temple complex featuring one big, bronze Buddha.

  • Horyuji Temple

    Ikaruga, Japan

    Hōryū-ji

    Home to the world's oldest wooden building.

  • The face of the Buddha.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Ueno Daibutsu

    Only the face remains of this giant Buddha statue, which is said to be a source of luck for students.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.