Close to Arashiyama, there is a hidden gem for anyone who loves cats. Umenomiya Taisha (梅宮大社) has long been a shrine where the locals pray for sake-brewing and baby-related matters in Kyoto. Apparently, Empress Danrin (檀林皇后) was blessed with her first child, Emperor Ninmyō (仁明天皇), after praying at the shrine. But recently, it has also become known as a Cat Shrine, where adorable cats can be spotted in the precinct. It is also a less-known spot to adore the seasonal flowers.
Table of Contents
- About Umenomiya Taisha
- What to See at Umenomiya Taisha
- The Matage Stone (またげ石)
- Umenomiya Shinen Garden (梅宮神苑)
- The Cats and Umenomiya Taisha
- Umenomiya Taisha’s Opening Hours, Admission Fee, Access Information
About Umenomiya Taisha
While the erection date of Umenomiya Taisha is unknown, it has existed since the 8th century. The shrine was originally located in the southern part of Kyoto. However, Empress Danrin relocated it to its current location in the early 9th century.
Most buildings in the precincts were burnt down in a fire hazard in 1698. Two years later, an order for restoration was given by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (徳川綱吉), the Edo shogunate’s fifth shōgun.
What to See at Umenomiya Taisha
The main gate, Zuishinmon (随身門), is where the shrine’s guardian deity is enshrined. What will catch your attention are the sake barrels placed on the gate’s second floor. They are the best decor, notifying passersby that Umenomiya Taisha is a shrine where the God of Sake Brewing is worshiped. In fact, the god venerated here is Japan’s top sake-brewing god!
You will also find a Mikiri-ishi (見切石) at Umenomiya Taisha. It is said that if you make 100 trips between the vertical rocks on the two ends of mikiri-ishi, your prayer will be answered.
The Matage Stone (またげ石)
If you want to be blessed with children, visit Umenomiya Taisha with your partner. The Matage Stone is at Umenomiya Taisha’s far back, next to the main worship hall. It is where Empress Danrin prayed for a boy. It is said that if both of you straddle the Matage Stone, there is a high chance that you will be pregnant soon!
Note that you need to apply for a ritual for childbirth (子授けの祈祷) at the shrine office to access the Matage Stone.
In addition, if you will deliver a baby soon, get a safe delivery amulet (産砂守) from the shrine office. On the day of the delivery of your child, place the amulet under your bed. The amulet filled with the sacred sand is popular among expected mothers.
Umenomiya Shinen Garden (梅宮神苑)
The shrine’s 10,000㎡ garden is another highlight of Umenomiya Taisha. It is no wonder that it is known as one of Kyoto’s best gardens once you have visited it. Various flowers are growing in the vast water-strolling garden.
The tea house, Chichūtei (池中亭), completed in 1851, was the remains of one of the aristocratic villas.
The view of the tea house and the garden reminds the Japanese of one of the top 100 Japanese waka poems (百人一首の71番) that depicts the rural scenery of a hut and the surroundings in early autumn in the Heian period (794 – 1185). Thus, the tea house is also called Ashi no Maroya (芦のまろ屋). It means a modest house with a simple roof made of reeds or thatch.
Umenomiya Taisha is one of the oldest popular spots to admire plum blossoms. The shrine’s precinct contains around 550 plums of 40 varieties. The flowers bloom from mid-February to late March, with the season peaking between late February and early March.
The plums from the tree are then made into salted plums. Because plums have been treated as amulets that keep evil spirits away in Japan since ancient times, the salted plums at Umenomiya Taisha are called Shōfuku Ume (招福梅), which means the plums that bring good luck. Please check with the staff if you want to bring a few packs home.
Umenomiya Taisha’s Flowering Calendar
Cherry blossoms, irises, and hydrangeas are planted, allowing you to enjoy seasonal flowers throughout the year. The view of the autumn leaves reflected in the garden’s pond is also spectacular, making it a less-known spot for fall foliage.
Around the pond, 10 cherry trees of 20 varieties are planted, extending the flower season at Umenomiya Taisha from late March to mid-April. The cherry blossom season usually peaks in early April.
Moreover, you will find around 30 camellias of 50 species blooming from November to May.
- Azaleas: from mid-April to early June
- Around 1,300 hydrangeas of 140 varieties: from late May to early July with the season peaking in mid-June
- Irises: from late May to mid-June, with the season peaking in early June
- Fall foliage: late November
The Cats and Umenomiya Taisha
When the chief priest, Hashimoto-san (橋本 以裕), was young, cats weren’t allowed to enter Umenomiya Taisha. His parents thought cats might do something too mischievous in the shrine. So, the family only started living with cats after his father passed away.
At the time, Hashimoto-san’s wife was exhausted from caring for the parents. So, he welcomed a cat to the family, hoping it would help her feel a little bit better. Six months later, they adopted another cat (Mii-chan, ミーちゃん) that a stray gave birth to.
To their surprise, Mii-chan gave birth to around 60 cats in 10 years. While the couple knew Mii-chan might get pregnant because she couldn’t be de-sexed due to her illness, they didn’t expect her to come this far. Hashimono-san thinks that it must be because of the blessing from the gods of his shrine. After all, one of the gods venerated at Umenomiya Taisha looks after childbirth.
Currently, Hashimono-san has more than 10 cats in his family, including Mii-chan’s children and rescued cats. There is a high chance you will see a few of them at the shrine office because many of them are eyeing the chance of entering the building (´▽｀*).
Tip: Visit Umenomiya Taisha in the morning or late afternoon to maximize your chance of meeting the cats.
Important: Please avoid feeding the cats at Umenomiya Taisha.
Umenomiya Taisha’s Opening Hours, Admission Fee, Access Information
- Umenomiya Taisha is open from 9 am to 5 pm.
- The admission fee to the garden is
- 600 yen for adults
- 400 yen for children
- The shrine is a 15-minute walk from Hankyū’s Matsuo Taisha Station (松尾大社駅).
- Please cross Katsura River (桂川) and make a left turn at the second traffic light.
- You can also take Kyoto City Bus (市バス) routes 3, 28, 29, or 71 and get off at Umenomiya Taisha-mae (梅宮大社前).
