Kanga-an Temple
Edo-era Zen temple hiding a Heian-period guardian statue said to ward off demons, plus a secret nighttime bar.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Kanga-an Temple in Kyoto begins nine hundred years before the temple existed, with the court diviner Abe no Seimei forging a golden guardian statue to hold back evil pouring from Kyoto's demon gate. It follows the guardian's journey from Kifune Shrine to this hillside in the 1660s, when Emperor Go-Mizunoo had a dream and asked the monk Sengai to found a temple around it. A six-pointed star, Seimei's personal seal, is still carved into the stone altar out front. Look for it before you step inside.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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