The Go-ō Shrine is recognizable by the dozens of wild boar statues stationed throughout the grounds. According to legend, when Wake no Kiyomaro was exiled to the southern island of Kyushu, three hundred wild boars appeared to protect him from assassins. He was later invited back to Kyoto to help build the new capital. People started visiting this shrine to pray for the recovery of leg and back injuries, honoring the animal that guarded their benefactor during his difficult journey.
Go-ō Shrine
religious
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