Yasaka

Yasaka is a Japanese toponym and surname. The name is typically written 八坂, meaning “eight slopes” or “eight hills,” and it appears in various place names and family names in Japan. Among its most well-known uses are in Kyoto, where two landmark sites bear the name: Yasaka Shrine and the Yasaka Pagoda, both associated with the city’s historic Gion district.

Yasaka Shrine, also known as Yasaka-jinja, is a Shinto shrine located in Kyoto’s Gion area. It is one of the city’s most prominent shrines and has long been linked to the Gion Festival, Kyoto’s major summertime celebration dating back to the 9th century. The shrine is traditionally associated with the deities Susanoo-no-Mikoto and Kushinadahime-no-Mikoto, and it serves as a central site for rites and community events linked to the festival.

The Yasaka Pagoda is the common name for the five-story wooden pagoda that stands at the site of Hōkan-ji temple in Kyoto. The pagoda is a defining landmark of the eastern Higashiyama district and is among Kyoto’s best-known architectural symbols. Although the surrounding temple complex has undergone changes over the centuries, the pagoda remains a prominent historical structure and an enduring feature of the city’s cultural landscape.

In addition to these uses, Yasaka can also function as a surname and appears in various local place names and institutions. The character combination 八坂 reflects a geographic or topographic origin, and the name is most closely associated with Kyoto’s historic and ceremonial heart.