Jōnangū｜城南宮

The most noteworthy features of Jōnangū are the five gardens placed around its shrine buildings.  Beginning with the access point near the shrine’s omamori shop you enter the Haru no Yama (“Spring Mountain”) Garden, which offers a leisurely stroll over a small stream in a grove of camellia trees as well as the shrine’s famous weeping plum blossoms. 

Continuing on takes you to the Heian Period-style Garden, which is home to a serene pond as well as a babbling brook that makes its way through lush moss and a wisteria trellis where the shrine holds its twice-annual Kyokusui no Utage, a recreation of a Heian Period poetry game.

Across the “street” are the remaining three gardens.  The Muromachi Period-style Garden boasts a lovely stone-filled pond filled with koi, a stone bridge, and a gorgeous wisteria trellis overhanging the water and rimmed with colorful azaleas.  The Momoyama Period-style Garden opposite has a sweeping field that makes use of space with a high natural backdrop and a teahouse where you can enjoy green tea and a sweet, as well as sakura if you time your visit right.  A walk behind the trees past beds of water-loving iris brings you to the Jōnan Imperial Villa Garden with its carefully sculpted line of conifers and waves of white stone shaped into a classic rock garden.

Though the shrine holds a variety of festivals throughout the year, it most noticeably is host to many kagura, sacred dances performed by miko shrine priestesses in distinctive white and red clothing.  Wearing seasonal flowers on golden hair ornaments, these young women perform purifications using a special belled instrument and bless participants with plums, wisteria, or chrysanthemums, depending on the season.  Held for several days each season and often during other festival periods, it may be an interesting experience to receive a kagura blessing from a Jōnangū priestess.