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Kitano Tenmangu Shrine 北野天満宮

Checked October 2026 · next check January 2027 · 1 post since 2014

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Visiting Kitano Tenmangu Shrine today

  • What it is: A shrine founded in 947 and dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, worshipped as Tenjin. Students come to pray for exam success, so it is especially busy in exam seasons.
  • Getting there: City bus 50 runs direct from Kyoto Station to the Kitano Tenmangu-mae stop in about 30 minutes (¥230). In rush hour it can be quicker to take the Karasuma subway to Imadegawa, then bus 203.
  • Hours: The grounds are open 7:00-17:00 daily, and entry to the grounds is free. The plum grove (early February to late March) costs ¥3,000 and the maple garden (late October or early November to early December) costs ¥1,500.
  • Tip: The Tenjin-san market fills the grounds on the 25th of every month, from early morning until sunset, with antiques, crafts, plants and food stalls.
  • Best time: Nearly 2,000 plum trees bloom in February and March, with the Baikasai tea ceremony on 25 February. The maple garden is lit up in the evenings in autumn.
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Plum blossoms February-March; maple garden lit up in autumn

Checked against: Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (japan-guide.com) · Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (official site). Check opening times and prices before you go.

Kitano Tenmangu Shrine on Shibuya246

Photos and stories from our visits, as they were written at the time.

Photos

Kitano Tenmangu

Kitano Tenmangu is well known as a shrine dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a scholar and politician who was exiled unfairly by his political rivals many years ago. He is associated with Tenjin, the god of literature or calligraphy and many students come to wish for good fortune in their upcoming exams. Dazaifu Tenmangu in Fukuoka which i visited previously is built over the grave of Sugawara Michizane.