Last Updated: Dec 15, 2023

Kyoto’s Seimei Shrine

Backyard Tourism Vol. 12

The other week, I found myself in Kyoto for client-related work reasons. While I’d of course not pass up the chance to enjoy the city’s cherry blossoms, the primary purpose of my trip was professional. Still, I am a travel addict so you can bet your bottom dollar that I took a peek at Google Maps to see if there was a site near my hotel. Lo and behold, as is often the case, I found one that was just a stone’s throw away from my hotel. Known as Seimei Jinja or Seimei Shrine in English, this little sanctuary was dedicated to Abe-no-Seimei, an ancient enchanter who is often described as the “Merlin of Japan.”

Honestly speaking, I’ve been itching to introduce Abe-no-Seimei to all of you for a really long time. Alas, seeing as this is first and foremost a blog about travel, he’s a hard hero to weave into a story without completely derailing the narrative. In fact, the closest I’ve come to featuring the mysterious figure thus far was in this exposé on Shuten Doji, the Drunken Demon. Even when recounting this famous myth though, I only ever alluded to Abe-no-Seimei in passing and didn’t bother introducing the legend by name. Luckily for fans of folklore, my stumbling upon today’s hidden gem was the sign I needed to do a deep dive on this eminent character.