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Yasaka Kōshindō was established in the Higashiyama area of Kyoto, a prime tourist destination near Kiyomizu Temple and Yasaka Shrine. Its official name is "Daikokuzan Kongōji Kōshindō." This temple is beloved by locals and is affectionately known as "Yasaka Kōshin-san." It is one of the earliest places in Japan to embrace the Kōshin faith, which originates from Chinese Taoism, and is one of Japan's three Kōshin temples.
The most eye-catching feature of Yasaka Kōshindō is the "Wishing Monkeys," made from brightly colored fabrics, which have recently sparked lively discussions on social media. These monkey amulets, with their hands and feet bound, symbolize the calming of a restless mind and the restraint of one's desires, akin to a monkey that cannot move. It is said that if you make two wishes to the Wishing Monkey and are willing to give up one of them, your wish will come true. You can write your wish, date, and name on each handmade Wishing Monkey and hang it up.
Yasaka Kōshindō enshrines "Aoi Men Kongo." Aoi Men Kongo was originally the guardian deity of the prominent Hata clan in Kyoto, and the temple was established in 960 to allow the general public to worship. The Kōshin faith believes that monkeys are messengers of the gods, and the "Three Monkeys" representing "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" are also attendants of Aoi Men Kongo, visible throughout the temple grounds.
There are six festival days each year known as Kōshin days, during which an event is held to cook konjac shaped like the Wishing Monkey. In addition to the Wishing Monkeys, there are also monkey amulets displaying various cute expressions. Each amulet is handmade, resulting in unique expressions for each monkey.
