Heian Shrine — Vermillion Grandeur and Garden Paradise

Heian Shrine (平安神宮) was built in 1895 to commemorate Kyoto's 1,100th anniversary, recreating the original Heian Imperial Palace at 5/8 scale. The shrine's massive vermillion torii gate (24.4m tall, one of Japan's largest) marks the entrance to a vast courtyard (10,000 tsubo) surrounded by palatial buildings with brilliant orange-red walls and blue-green roof tiles.

Behind the main hall lies Shin-en Garden (神苑) — a 10-acre stroll garden with four themed sections, large ponds, weeping cherry trees, and historic tea houses. The garden is considered a Meiji-era masterpiece, designed to evoke Heian-period (794–1185) aesthetics while incorporating modern landscape techniques.