Kitano Tenmangū Shrine

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Among the shrines in Japan, those named 'Tenmangu' enshrine Sugawara no Michizane, revered as the god of learning. There are over 12,000 Tenmangu shrines nationwide, but Kitano Tenmangu Shrine serves as the head shrine, larger than others. Sugawara no Michizane was a genius who passed the imperial examinations at a young age, reaching the peak of power in his era. Envious rivals exiled him, leading to his downfall. Posthumously, his adversaries met untimely deaths or disasters, leading people to believe his wrath caused them. To appease his spirit, a shrine was built over his tomb, marking the origin of Tenmangu. The shrine's approach, marked by a giant torii (gateway), features numerous stone structures donated by the public. The romon (main gate) displays a massive wooden board with the current year's zodiac animal; this year features a rabbit. Inside, cow statues in lying poses stem from a legend where a cow refused to move, indicating Michizane's burial spot. Touching the same part on a statue that ails you is believed to heal it, and touching the cow's head is said to make one smarter, attracting many students. Lastly, as the head shrine, an enormous number of ema (votive plaques) can be seen, mostly conveying wishes for academic success.