Nishiki Tenmangū Shrine was founded in 1003. It was originally located at the birthplace of Sugawara no Michizane—a 9th-century aristocrat who posthumously became a deity in the Japanese pantheon, the much-revered (and feared) god of academia known as Tenjin. It was later relocated in the 16th century to the eastern edge of Kyoto’s bustling Nishiki Market, earning its prefix. The shrine is notable for its ill-positioned torii arch. At first, it merely served as the shrineÆs entrance. Then, when the street was constructed, the upper edges of the arch had…
