Admission
Free
At a Glance
Yakuso Jinshi stands in Higashitamaya-cho, Kyoto, near Karasuma Oike.
This shrine uniquely enshrines a trinity of medical gods from three cultures: Japanese deities Ōkuninushi and Sukunabikona, Chinese god Shennong, and ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, making it possibly the only Shinto shrine honoring a Western figure.
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Free
Experience
Because Yakuso Jinshi is a small shrine, plan for a brief stop rather than a long visit.
Since the shrine is viewable primarily through protective glass and is quite small, your visit will likely be brief, so consider combining it with other nearby attractions in the Karasuma Oike area to make the most of your time in this part of Kyoto.
The main worship area is only accessible during the annual medical festival held in November, so plan your visit accordingly if you want to enter beyond the protective glass barrier.
This shrine uniquely enshrines a trinity of medical deities from three different cultures: the Japanese gods Ōkuninushi and Sukunabikona, the Chinese god Shennong, and the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, making it a rare example of cross-cultural religious syncretism worth appreciating during your visit.
The shrine sits on a quiet residential lane near Karasuma Oike, so visit respectfully and keep noise low.
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Fascinating facts about this place
Yakuso Jinshi stands in Higashitamaya-cho, Kyoto, near Karasuma Oike.
This shrine uniquely enshrines a trinity of medical gods from three cultures: Japanese deities Ōkuninushi and Sukunabikona, Chinese god Shennong, and ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, making it possibly the only Shinto shrine honoring a Western figure.
The original shrine was destroyed in 1864 during the Hamaguri Gate Rebellion when flames engulfed Kyoto's medics' quarter in Nijo. It was rebuilt in 1906 and relocated to its current quiet residential location in Higashi-Tamaya.
Hippocrates was added to the shrine's pantheon in the late 1850s when Japanese scholars first encountered Western medicine at the end of the feudal Edo period, eager to adopt new medical knowledge that could save more lives.






More ways to continue from this place.
Within 300 m Within 600 m
KT335-S.R 丸太町
docomo bike share
KT237-京都国際マンガミュージアム
docomo bike share
KT339-More御所南
docomo bike share
Renting needs the operator's app and a Japanese phone number. docomo day passes are sold at convenience stores. Data sources
Also called Yakuso Jinshi
Nakagyo, Kyoto Prefecture