Shrine · Gion / Higashiyama

Yasui Konpiragu 安井金比羅宮

A Gion backstreet shrine famous for a tunnel stone covered in paper charms: crawl through one way to cut bad ties, the other to make good ones.

About

Yasui Konpiragu enshrines Emperor Sutoku, who after being exiled cut off all worldly desire, and is known for enkiri, the cutting of bad relationships, whether with a partner, a habit, illness or bad luck, and enmusubi, binding good ones. Its centrepiece is the Enkiri-Enmusubi-ishi, a 1.5 m stone mound with a hole at its base, plastered with thousands of white katashiro paper charms. You write your wish on a charm, crawl through the hole from front to back to cut the bad tie, then back again to make the good one, and paste the charm onto the stone. The shrine also has an ema museum. The sea of white paper has become a well-known photo, and queues form on weekends. It sits between Kennin-ji and Yasaka Pagoda in the Gion-Higashiyama backstreets, and is open at night.

Highlights

• Enkiri-Enmusubi-ishi covered with paper charms
• Crawl-through wish ritual
• Ema museum of votive tablets
• Open 24 hours
• Backstreet location between Gion and Higashiyama

Tips

• Go early morning or in the evening to avoid the queue for the stone.
• Follow the order: front to back to cut, back to front to bind.
• Wear clothes you do not mind kneeling in.
• Be discreet with photos of other people's wishes.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Gion CornerShows & Entertainment · 170 m away
• Kennin-jiTemple · 230 m away
• Leica Store KyotoCamera Store · 240 m away
• % Arabica Kyoto HigashiyamaCafé & Sweets · 250 m away
• Yasaka KoshindoPhoto Spot · 290 m away
• SOWAKAStay · 300 m away
• Ishibe-koji LanePhoto Spot · 330 m away
• Hisago (Gion)Restaurant · 330 m away