May 27, 2016 - 1 min read

The Other Imamiya Shrine

A small shrine with the same in west Kyoto

By Meg Sing

Community writer

Somewhat weather-beaten, but beautiful in its' own way

The names of those who contributed in some form or another to the building of the shrine

The shrine's exit leads out to surrounding residential area of Kyoto

The bell rung when the long rope attached to it is shaken

A small shrine with many touches of aesthetic symmetry

Wooden board explaining the shrine's history is bleached by the sun

A very local shrine that provides ample space for personal reflection

Take the time to admire the small details

Woven ropes and white paper demarcate the sacred "space" of the shrine's deities

The main shrine building sits quietly in the midday sun

As I was later informed, I was not the first to mistake this tiny shrine for the larger shrine with the same name in north Kyoto that I had originally intended to visit. I am sure Kyoto has countless smaller shrines tucked away in suburban streets and side roads, too inconspicuous to warrant attention from the guidebooks and accompanying foot traffic of curious tourists.

This Imamiya Shrine is one of them. Once here, I was the only human being on the entire grounds. I felt my conscious expand to fill the whole of the quiet space and revelled in the fact it was mine to enjoy. Although it looked no more than an ordinary old shrine, it was beautiful and special.

Of all the shrines in Kyoto, this shrine taught me about the relativity of perception and the will to find beauty in anything. I realised the best memories come from when you step off the map, because you own the memory. From my own happy mistake, I encourage you to take a spontaneous left turn down an alleyway on your next travels!