Tanzan Shrine

Birthplace of the Fujiwara Clan

Tanzan Shrine is built on Tonomine where Nakatomi no Kamatari (later Fujiwara no Kamatari) and Prince Naka no Ōe secretly plotted the Taika Reform. Said to have been founded in 671 by Kamatari's eldest son Joye, it is a historically important shrine related to the origin of the Fujiwara clan.

Japan's Only Wooden Thirteen-Story Pagoda

The wooden thirteen-story pagoda remaining from the time of founding is a precious architectural heritage as Japan's only wooden thirteen-story pagoda (Important Cultural Property). The 17-meter tower combined with the surrounding autumn foliage creates a picturesque scene.

Autumn Foliage

November at Tanzan Shrine offers spectacular views of about 3,000 maple trees simultaneously turning color. Autumn foliage called the "Nikko of Kansai" creates a magnificent scene like a crimson carpet spread through the Tonomine mountains.

Kemari Festival

The "Kemari Festival" held annually in November is an elegant festival dedicating "kemari," the Heian nobility's ball game. The scene of participants in Heian court costumes playing kemari is a unique cultural experience of Tanzan Shrine.