Ota-jinja

Mountain of gods,
irises of Ota marsh,
people’s deepest wishes
can be seen in their color.
–Fujiwara no Toshinari

Ota Shrine

This small local shrine is where people come to pray for good health, luck in marriage, even success on the stage.

The Ota-jinja kakitsubata irises bloom twice, in May and early June. 

The pond was originally part of a marsh known as Ota no Sawa. The island in the centre of the pond is known as “the floating isle,” after the isle of the Chinese immortals.

I visited this shrine after having lunch at Azekura and before exploring Kamigamo shrine and area. A samurai movie was being filmed on the grounds near the shrine.

http://www.kamigamojinja.jp/topics/2011/2011_kakitsubata.html