Tobiume Tenmangu Shrine

Set within the grounds of Ima-Hie Jingu in Kyoto, this small shrine honors the scholar and poet Sugawara no Michizane, established by Retired Emperor Goshirakawa in the twelfth century. The name means "flying plum" and comes from a poem Michizane wrote in exile, pleading for the eastern wind to carry the scent of his beloved plum blossoms to him in distant Kyushu. Legend says the plum tree flew south to console him. Spring visits reward you with the blossoms that inspired the poem. The shrine is one of many across Japan dedicated to Michizane, who is revered as the patron of learning.