Whispered Shadow·Rakusai / Saga

Gio-ji (Gio and Taira no Kiyomori)

This Sagano convent is known for its link to Giō, the dancer of the Tale of the Heike. By tradition Giō, once favored by Taira no Kiyomori, was cast off when his affection turned to Hotoke Gozen. Driven from the capital, she took vows here alongside her mother and sister. The site was once part of the temple Ōjō-in; after that temple fell into ruin, a former governor of Kyoto, Kitagaki Kunimichi, donated a villa building in 1895 to form the present hermitage.

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These notes come from desk research. Local traditions vary.