Goryo Shrine
Goryo Shrine in Nara is a beautiful little shrine. Without too many visitors, you can appreciate the shrine in silence at a leisurely pace. You have the opportunity to see traditional Japanese weddings here and can pray for a happy marriage in its Shusseinarisha Shrine. Besides, you can appreciate the cherry blossoms and peonies during the spring.Why was Goryo Shrine built?
During the early Heian Period (794-1185), the Goryo Shrine was established under the order of Emperor Hwanmu (735-806).Why built it? During the Nara period (710-794) and the Heian period, people feared that the resentment of those who died unjustly would turn into a vengeful spirit and caused disasters. However, if people seriously sacrificed the evil spirit, they would become the good spirit and guard the place. This is the origin of the Goryo Shrine.
The Goryo Shrine Photos ( 10
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Things to Do in the Shrine
Tie a Red Rope around the Foot of Komainu
Komainu refers to a kind of Japanese fictitious creatures that resemble lions and dogs, and its stone statues can often be seen at the gates of the shrines or temples. It is said that komainu can guard shrines and exorcise evil spirits. There are totally four komainus in the Goryo shrine, two of which are located at the south gate of the shrine and two at the east corner inside the shrine. You can find that there are many red ropes on Komainu's feet at the south gate. People believe that the red ropes can bless them with a happy marriage or a prosperous business.
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Visit the Shusseinarisha Shrine
Shusseinarisha Shrine is very small and is located in the west of the Goyro Shrine. You can pray for a happy marriage here. It is a good choice to buy a wooden brand in a heart shape and write down your wishes, then hang the brand in front of the shrine. By the way, each wooden brand is about 600 yen.Watch a Japanese Traditional Wedding Ceremony
The shrine allows couples to conduct weddings here so you have the opportunity to see the happy wedding scene. In general, the bride will wear a white robe with a large hat that covers her hair, and there is a long green spikes hung on her chest. The bridegroom will wear black tops and grey pleated skirts, and you can see a big white flower and a fan on his chest. Besides, there will be two shrine witches who will guide them through the wedding process.|
Japanese wedding
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Watch the Samurai Show
Sometimes, the shrine will hold a samurai show, and the performers are usually old people. They will wear black samurai suits and white socks and perform briefly with Japanese knives.
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Appreciate the Peonies and Cherry Blossoms
During April and May, you have the opportunity to see beautiful peonies and cherry blossoms. The majority of peonies gather at the west of the shrine.Recommended Visit Route
After going through the south gate of Goryo Shrine, you can turn left to visit Shusseinarisha shrine; then go straight along that road and you will see beautiful peonies; at the end of the road turn right, and you will see the Wakamiyasha Shrine that guarded by two stone Komainu. At last, you can turn right and go back to the south gate of Goryo Shrine.Recommended Visit Time
About 0.5 hour. The Goryo Shrine does not cover a large area, and you can simply appreciate the architecture here and experience the Japanese traditional Shinto culture.Opening Time and Ticket
It opens from 8:00 to 16:30 all year and you do not need to pay any admission fee.How to Get to Goryo Shrine
1. Take the Kintetsu Nara Line, and get off at Kintetsu Nara Station, then come out from the No. 4 Exit. After, walk to the Goryo Shrine, which takes about 15 minutes.2. Take the JR Nara Line, and get off at JR Nara Station. Then, you can take the Nara bus at the JR Naraeki Bus Stop, and get off at Tanakamachi Bus Stop, which takes about 12 minutes.
Nearby Attractions to Visit
After visiting the Goryo Shrine, you can visit Naramachi Koshinoie next to the shrine. Then, you can explore the Buddhist culture in nearby temples, such as Gangoji Temple and Kofukuji Temple. You can walk to the two temples, which respectively take four minutes and ten minutes. Besides, you can visit the Higashimuki Shopping Street, which owns rich restaurants and souvenir shops. It is about a 13-minute walk away.
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