Ancient shrine (built in 947) located in the northwest of Kyoto, known for its ties to the famous Japanese scholar Sugawara no Michizane. This popular destination is visited by many local students seeking blessings of academic success from the god of knowledge and calligraphy. That is why it has two bronze cows flanking the approach to the shrine's tower gate (you can spot them in one of the photos). Legend states that rubbing them brings academic success. In addition to the beauty of its various buildings, the shrine also boasts a beautiful ume (plum) orchard that blooms from February to March, perfect for admiring, often overshadowed by sakura, but equally beautiful type of blossom.

It also has the nicest temizu-ya I've ever seen, because there is a cute mini bull sitting on top of it - located right after you enter through the main gates (under number 1 on the map drawing).

Another fun thing to do here is to buy a pretty unique charm for 500 JPY (check the photo with the small wooden tablets). The fun part is that not only do you get to keep one half with you (like an Omamori) but you also leave the other half at the Temple for the future ritual (almost like an Ema tablet).

If you are a fan of the Samurai theme or interested in katanas, be sure to check out the museum that is located within the Temple grounds (under number 13 on the map drawing). The entry costs 1,000 JPY and the museum is kinda small, but personally, I really liked it and think that the exhibits were really cool.