Japan Travels: Yasaka Shrine & Maruyama Park

#hiddengems An unforgettable experience wandering into this amazing shrine and beautiful park in Gion Kyoto. It may sometimes be overlooked by tourists while travelling to Kyoto but we would recommend these two spots to explore this hidden gem. The entrance of Yasaka Shrine is very magical and it’s like stepping into a new world. The shrine is very big, a lot of temple houses and historical buildings to look around. They also have fortune prayer cards for people to purchase for keepsakes, we enjoy the traditional culture of the shrine and toss a coin to give our prayers. We went to Maruyama Park later on where it’s connected next to the shrine. it’s a gorgeous park with a lot of scenery to look around, there is a huge pond, stone bridges and a lot of flower fields to appreciate the Mother Nature. It’s a quiet place for a relaxation and meditate, away from all the work and noises in the city. There are even small tortoises and ducks around the pond and they are so adorable to watch.