Yasui Konpira-gu Shrine, Kyoto

In a country blessed with more love shrines than convenience stores, Yasui Konpira-gu manages to steal the show among the young without a problem. What's making it a hit is the unique feature鈥攁 rock鈥攂ut not just any rock. This one鈥檚 got a hole in it, a symbolic tool with a reputation for emotional exfoliation. A line of hopeful romantics routinely come here to crawl through this hole to shed their old relationships and welcome new ones.

Here鈥檚 how it works: you scribble your name and current romantic wish鈥攂e it breakup or hookup鈥攐n a piece of paper. Then, in full public view, you squeeze yourself through the peculiarly shaped boulder. The idea is to leave behind your past romantic entanglements on one side, and emerge purified and ready to mingle on the other. A kind of spiritual speed-dating with mild acrobatics. After your ceremonial limbo, you stick your wish-paper to the rock, joining a growing collage of love-fueled desperation and optimism.

The shrine itself has layers. Legend has it that it started as a Buddhist site back in the 7th century AD and then converted to Shintoism, in 1868, when religion in Japan had a government-mandated identity crisis. These days, Yasui Konpira-gu finds itself on the southeastern outskirts of Gion, flanked鈥攊ronically enough鈥攂y a lineup of love hotels. Like in other shrines, visitors here also leave wooden plaques called "ema", scribbled with heartfelt (and sometimes hilariously blunt) pleas for affection, fortune, or closure, hanging up for the gods to peruse.

But apart from that. Yasui Konpira-gu is also famed for its Kushi Matsuri, a celebration honoring the humble hair ornaments for their loyal service. Geisha grace the occasion; mindful of the saying "hair is a woman's life", they glide through the grounds, giving thanks to combs for their tireless toil. The festival's main event is a dazzling parade showcasing the evolution of women's intricate hairstyles over 1,000 years鈥攑roof that while love may be fickle, updos are forever!

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Kyoto. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Yasui Konpira-gu Shrine
Sight Location: Kyoto, Japan (See walking tours in Kyoto)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Gion District Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Kyoto, Japan

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