Login

Kobe Kitano Tenman Shrine

Kiyomori's Legacy

In 1180, Taira no Kiyomori established Kobe Kitano Tenman Shrine in Kobe as a branch of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto. The shrine is located on a high plateau in the Kitano area of Kobe with an excellent view. The worship hall was built in 1724, and the main hall is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the god of academics, together with several sub-shrines.

At the end of the Heian period, when the Taira clan was in power in Japan, Taira no Kiyomori tried to move the capital from Kyoto to Fukuhara (present-day Kobe). Although it ended in failure, the Kobe Kitano Tenman Shrine 神戸北野天満神社, which was separated from Kyoto Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in 1180, has survived intact to the present day.

Manywhere Trivia:
The Kitano area of Kobe gets its name from this very Kobe Kitano Tenman Shrine.

Kobe Kitano Tenman Shrine is located on a high plateau halfway up a hill in the Kitano area of Kobe, with an Excellent View, it is also known as the Sky Shrine.

The Worship Hall was built in 1724, and most of the shrine’s ceremonies and events are held here. The Main Hall at the back is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the God of Academics, who is said to be able to remove bad luck and bless worshipers in exams. Besides, there are sub-shrines such as Tentaka Inari Shrine, Hakuryu Daishonjin, Kitano Suitengu, covering various fields such as property, birth, fortune, and disaster prevention.

Wedding Scene

Manywhere Trivia:
Traditional Japanese weddings are extremely solemn.

Many young Japanese today choose to hold their Traditional Shinzen Shiki Wedding in a Shinto shrine, where the bride and groom, both dressed in black and white kimonos, bond together in front of a priest and receive the blessing from their friends and family.