Toyokuni Shrine

The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of a Japanese Icon 🏯✨
Located right next to Kyoto's famous sights, Toyokuni Shrine tells a dramatic story of one of Japan’s greatest leaders, Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

After Hideyoshi passed away in 1598, this shrine was built to deify him as a god. However, when the Tokugawa Shogunate took power, they sought to erase his legacy—the shrine was stripped of its land and its magnificent buildings were completely destroyed. 🤯 It wasn't until the Meiji era, centuries later, that the shrine was finally restored to its current location!

Right next door at Hokoji Temple, you can still see the massive bronze bell that changed history. A small inscription on it, "Kokka Ankou" (wishing for national peace), was used as a clever excuse by Tokugawa Ieyasu to start a war and finally bring down the Toyotomi clan. ⚡️

Hideyoshi was famously obsessed with tea, known for hosting the grand "Kitano Great Tea Garden" event. Even today, a sacred Tea Offering Ceremony (Kencha-sai) is held at Toyokuni Shrine every year on the anniversary of his death. 🍵

Following my visits to Kitano Tenmangu and Daigo-ji, this was another incredible place to feel Hideyoshi's passion for tea culture and the turbulent history he lived through. 😌🌿