Kyoto's Heian Shrine

The Heian Shrine was constructed for the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of the city of Heiankyo in 1892. It is a scaled-down(5/8ths) version of Daigoku-den, the Palace of the Hall of State, which was the original capital in 794 and was dedicated to the memory of the emperor Kanmu who had created this wonderous city. The Main Gate, or Ote-mon, is a typical two-story gate. It is a replica of the main gate of the original palace grounds called Rasho-mon.

Located behind the Heian shrine is a "go-round" style garden with a total area of 30,000 m². This garden is famous for its loveliness in all seasons: in the spring when the weeping cherry trees of the south garden and the azaleas are in bloom, in the summer when the iris and the water lilies provide a visual delight, in the autumn with the color of the maple trees enriching the gardens, and in the winter when snow blankets the buildings and the garden.