is a Shinto shrine that is located in Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. It is dedicated to the onmyōji

Onmyodo

is a traditional Japanese esoteric cosmology, a mixture of natural science and occultism. It is based on the Chinese philosophies of Wu Xing and Yin and yang, introduced into Japan at the turn of the 6th century, and accepted as a practical system of divination...

, Abe no Seimei

Abe no Seimei

was an onmyōji, a leading specialist of onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan. In addition to his prominence in history, he is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore and has been portrayed in a number of stories and films....

.

History

The Seimei Shrine was founded on the 4th year of the Kankō

Kanko

was a after Chōhō and before Chōwa. This period spanned the years from July 1004 through December 1012. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of Era:* 1004 : The era namewas changed to mark an event or series of events...

 era (1007) by Emperor Ichijō

Emperor Ichijo

was the 66th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Ichijō's reign spanned the years from 986 to 1011.-Traditional narrative:Before he ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Kanehito-shinnō....

, who ordered the shrine built in memory of Abe no Seimei, after his death in 1005. It was constructed on the site of Abe no Seimei's house.

The main building was restored in 1925.

Architecture

Two torii

Torii

A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred...

 gates lead up to the entrance of the shrine.

A famous well (Seimei-i) is located on the shrine grounds, and the water drawn from it is considered somewhat magical. Tea master Sen no Rikyū

Sen no Rikyu

, is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on chanoyu, the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of wabi-cha...

 was known to have brewed tea with the water from this well.
The pentacle

Pentacle

A pentacle is an amulet used in magical evocation, generally made of parchment, paper or metal , on which the symbol of a spirit or energy being evoked is drawn. It is often worn around the neck, or placed within the triangle of evocation...

, known locally as a Seimei-star, is an important symbol found on many parts of the shrine. Abe no Seimei reputedly came up with the arcane insignia in the 10th century, symbolizing the Five Chinese Elements. Japanese bellflower (Platycodon grandiflorus) ornamentation are found in decorative tiles and lanterns. The five petal tips of the flower are thought to represent the same ideal as the pentagram.

A nearby bridge, the Ichijō Modori-bashi is situated just south of the shrine, and is held to be a gateway between the human and spiritual realms.

External links

• Official Site (Japanese)