“Goou Shrine” Famous for Wild Boars and Benefits for Legs And Waist – Let’s Count How Many Wild Boars Are Here!

“Goou Shrine”(護王神社) is located on the west side of Kyoto Imperial Palace. This shrine is famous for its benefits for healthy legs and waist, it seems that athletes also visit to worship. There are many wild and pretty boar statues in the precincts. Therefore, it’s also known as ‘Boar Shine’. Please don’t miss the boars with various facial expressions when you visit.

“Goou Shrine” visit many people who suffer from sickness and injury to legs and hips. In the precincts of this shrine which is also famous as its wild boar shrine, you can see them everywhere. How is connected with the ‘wild boar’ and ‘legs and waist’? It’s related to the person, Wake no Kiyomaro who is enshrined at this shrine.

In 769,  Wake no Kiyomaro blocked Yuge no Dokyo, who was a powerful person at the time and tried to usurp the imperial throne. As a result, Wake no Kiyomaro really made him angry and was exiled to Kyushu after cutting Kiyomaro’s tendon by him. In addition, he was attacked by an assassin sent by Dokyo. However, Kiyomaro was saved from about 300 wild boars and arrived destination safely. After that, the wild boars left and his injured legs were healed. The story has been the origin of legs and waist and wild boars in this shrine.

On the left side of the main shrine, there is a stone of a footprint shape on the ‘Ashinae Nangi Kaihuku no Hi’ (足萎難儀回復の碑). It seems that if you stand on it and pray, it will bring you good luck. Furthermore, the wild boar in the chozuya is called ‘Good luck spirit boar’, it’s said that good fortune will come to you if you stroke the wild boar’s snout. You can meet the wild boars unique to the shrine, such as the guardian wild boars and wild boar omikuji.