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Jo Nan Gu Shrine


Please refer back to my previous posting; Heian Jingu Shrine and Kamo Wake-ikaduchi Jinja Shrine for the previous series of the imperial guardian shrines.


This year, you will be lucky if you go in the west, but will be unlucky if you are in the south-east. When you read fortune telling articles in magazines, you may find this kind of “lucky direction” and “unlucky direction” of the year. This can be resolved into monthly and daily basis; according to my friend who has studied this kind of fortune telling professionally, I’ll be lucky if I go in the south-west in July and in the north in August. These “direction” practices are based on Ying yang and five elements theory which originates in the ancient China.

In the ancient time in Japan, Chinese cultures were cutting-edge and the imperial court of Japan determined to “import” the cutting-edge knowledge ranging from literatures, philosophy to politics, governance and its religious studies into Japan to make their governance efficient. Our letter; Chinese Characters (Kanji) is one of the imported knowledge. Among the imported “spiritual studies”, Ying yang and five elements theory (but it is said that this theory is truly based on the scientific aspects) was evaporated into “Japanese Cosmology” （陰陽道）and it became popular in the imperial court. Sometimes, the Cosmology was an important factor for the court and the emperor to decide serious political doctrine; to choose the day of discussions, its promulgation and so forth.

In the Cosmology, the direction practice was very important. Simply, we will be happy if we go in the lucky direction and escape from bad lucks by avoiding unlucky directions. Especially, it was focused mainly on how to avoid the bad direction, cosmologies planned various ways to bypass the bad direction if a destination was in the bad direction, where politicians, noble families and the imperial families had to go.    However, sometimes they needed to be in the unlucky direction for inevitable works. Kata-Yoke（方除: Kata means directions and Yoke means “to avoid”）is a Japanese traditional way to prevent us from receiving bad lucks from the “unlucky” direction.

Jo Nan Gu, the name plate
In the world we live, sometimes we need to move directions to directions. If you enter into a company which is far from your home, you’ll need to move to a house that you can commute. The cosmology or the other popular Chinese spiritual study; Feng Shui is focused on the best direction and you can choose the best way. Having said that, due to some reasons, you may not be able to choose the best direction and Kata-Yoke prayers will be your help to avoid from having bad lucks from the bad direction. Jo Nan Gu Shrine offers you the Kata-Yoke prayers by private festivals, special talismans and so on.

The shrine is located in the south in Kyoto and the imperial court saw it as its south guardian. It used to be a part of the imperial villa called “Toba-Rikyu palace” where the emperor Shirakawa established and his grandson, the emperor Toba spent his time after his retirement from the crown. This location means that the shrine was powerfully supported by the imperial court and it received popularity among the noble families. Whenever they had a direction problem, they rushed into the shrine and had the prayer.

Besides the Kata-Yoke prayers, the shrine is famous for its beautiful garden with the ancient taste; the garden is organized in the same way as they did in the Heian Era (from late in 8th century to early in 12th century), so you can enjoy the classical garden in the shrine per payment of admissions; 500 yen per adult.

The main alter

ラベル:
場所: 日本, 〒612-8459 京都府京都市伏見区中島鳥羽離宮町 城南宮

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