Nestled In Kyoto's Heart Is A Cute Neighborhood With A Popular Shrine Paying Homage To Shinto And Bunnies

As Japan's seventh-largest city and former capital, Kyoto is filled with culture. The iconic city is famous for its bamboo forests, historic legacy, delicious food, and holy sanctuaries paying homage to religious deities, from Buddhist temples to Shinto shrines. There are an estimated 2,000 temples and shrines throughout Kyoto, ranging from impressive structures like Higashi Hongan-ji, the largest wooden temple in Japan displaying a bizarre artifact, and the Yasaka Kōshin-dō, a small shrine decorated in colorful balls said to represent abstinence from vices. 

In one small neighborhood in the heart of Kyoto stands a unique Shinto shrine called Okazaki-jinja, decorated with an assortment of bunny statues, rabbit figurines, and hare-adjacent motifs, as well as bunny-themed trinkets and paraphernalia brought by visitors. However, Okazaki Shrine is not to be confused with Okazaki, a city situated between Osaka and Tokyo which also has incredible temples and castles. Leaning into its association with the animal most known for rapid reproduction and seemingly endless fertility, it has become a mecca for people seeking fertility blessings. At Okazaki Shrine, visitors can participate in prayers or ceremonies to ward off evil spirits, invoke fertility and safe childbirth, and beg favor by leaving bunny-themed tangible tokens as homage to fecundity. 

Shinto originated in Japan and emphasizes harmony with nature, believing that deities and supernatural spirits called kami inhabit natural elements like lakes and trees. While Buddhism does not believe in any specific deity, it follows the teachings set forth by Siddhartha Gautama: primarily to meditate and develop good character in order to break the cycle of reincarnation and gain enlightenment. Both religions are prevalent in Japanese culture, and many of the country's shrines and temples are active places of worship with ettiquette rules you should know before visiting.

Okazaki-jinja is the eastern corner of the four directional Shinto shrines built in 794 by Emperor Kanmu to protect the new imperial capital. Originally called Higashi-Tenno, it can be found in Kyoto's Higashiyama District, or the Okazaki Museum District. Nicknamed Usagi-jinja, or "the rabbit's shrine," Okazaki-jinja faces east, the direction associated with the rabbit in Asian culture. The rabbit is also considered a messenger of the kami, and the animals were once abundant in the area, which may explain in part why the shrine was designed with so much bunny imagery. In 1178, the shrine received imperial commendation when an empress successfully gave birth to a future emperor, forever marking Okazaki Shrine as a pillar of fertility.

There are a few ways to request fertility blessings at Okazaki Shrine. It's a rite of visitation to sprinkle water on the black granite rabbit statue and rub its belly, a plea for easy and healthy childbirth. You can also purchase a rabbit-decorated plaque, on which you can write wishes for fertility to leave at the shrine. Visitors sometimes bring their own small bunny-themed tokens in tribute, a tangible representation of prayer to fecundity. The shrine also sells rabbit amulets to evoke protection, conception, safe pregnancy, and healthy childbirth. You can even host weddings and purification ceremonies at Okazaki Shrine, manifesting a fertile union.

Kyoto is about 2.5 hours by bullet train from Tokyo. It's easy to get there by bus or you can take a taxi to 51 Tenn-cho, Okazakihigashi, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto. From Kyoto Station, it's about a 40-minute commute via public transportation.

There's a lot to do in the Okazaki Museum District. It is home to numerous temples, in addition to the Okazaki Shrine, including the Heian-jingu Shrine, another Shinto landmark modeled after the Imperial Palace. The neighborhood has wide streets and plentiful green spaces, making it a perfect place to both explore and relax while you're in Kyoto. It's only about 2 miles from Kodai-ji Temple, a tranquil attraction, rich with bamboo gardens where you can avoid crowds.

The Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, or KYOCERA, and the Kyoto Museum of Modern Art are two major attractions in the neighborhood. KYOCERA prides itself on being one of the country's oldest museums, still housed in its original building. The Kyoto Museum of Modern Art, or MoMAK, has a vast collection of 20th-century work, emphasizing artists and movements from Kyoto and the western Kansai region of Japan across genres — particularly the famous Kyoto School style of Japanese art, as well as traveling exhibits and themed educational programming. In the same area as both museums stands the ROHM Theatre, an event hall that hosts a number of cultural events and performances year-round. Catch shows like modern plays or concerts from the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra.

You must experience the culinary excellence of Kyoto, and there are plenty of restaurants in the Okazaki area. Many serve ​​kaiseki, a seasonal, multi-course menu considered integral to Japanese dining culture. Try Junsei, a quintessential Japanese eatery with tofu-focused dishes and a gorgeous garden, or Okariba, with an eclectic and inventive menu.