Yasakajinja Shrine

Known affectionately for centuries as Gion-san, Yasaka Shrine is the head shrine of all Gion shrines in Japan, with a founding date given as 656. It is said to have quelled an epidemic sweeping the capital, and has been venerated ever since as a shrine of protection against misfortune. Two of its observances remain famous: the Gion Festival in July, and Okera-mairi on New Year's Eve, when worshippers catch the shrine's sacred flame on a length of rope and carry it home, swinging it to keep it alight — the purified fire is then used to cook the new year's soup, which is said to bring a year without illness. It sits at the heart of Gion, walkable from any direction.