Nishi Sando Path

Running from Kurehashi Bridge into the Usa Jingu shrine grounds, the Nishi Sando was historically the main approach to the shrine and busy with shops and inns for pilgrims. Today it is a quiet, tree-lined path after the northern route became the primary entrance following the Great Showa Reconstruction. Along the path are the foundation stones of the former Mirokuji Temple, the main Buddhist temple of a centuries-long shrine-temple complex. Yasaka Jinja Shrine, dedicated to the sea deity Susanoo, sits nearby with a colorfully painted dragon woodcarving above its vermilion sanctuary. The Chin'ekisai festival is held there each February.