Category Archive for Satanism
Kyoto pentagram temple, Seimei Shrine! Japanese occult destinations, pentacle Onmyodo diviner Abe no Seimei.
(Goth travel journalist / content creator La Carmina in Shinjuku, Tokyo.)
2025 is shaping up to be one of my wildest years yet… I’ll definitely be in Japan, so please stay tuned for announcements! And I have more dream projects in the works (can’t reveal them yet, but these are going to rock your socks). Thank you all for supporting; you make this spooky travel life possible.
To celebrate this good fortune, let’s hail Seimei Jinja, Kyoto’s pentagram shrine! Watch the IG reel about our visit to this occult shrine here on @LaCarmina.
This may look like a Satanic temple, but it’s actually a Shinto shrine dedicated to Japan’s most famous occult master turned pop culture icon. Read on for our visit to 晴明神社, which honors Abe no Seimei — a 10th-century practitioner of Onmyōdō (Japanese astronomy and divination) who invented the five-pointed star symbol in Japan (which happens to also be associated with Satanism in the West).
Instead of the typical tranquil vibes, Seimei is a Kyoto Shinto site with Goth and heavy metal aesthetic — peep the paper lanterns with black stars, and scowling lion-dog spirit statues! As you walk in, you’ll see Gothic black and red pentagrams marking everything from the hand washing station to the torii gate.
Seimei Shrine’s address: 806 Seimeicho, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, 602-8222, Japan. It’s north and a little out of the way of the main tourist areas, in a quiet neighborhood.
Since Seimei Shrine isn’t on the radar of most travelers, it wasn’t overrun with crowds (especially on this rainy day, which felt appropriate for the dark and demonic shrine). In ancient times, Abe no Seimei was said to have mystical powers of divination. Today, he’s a cult figure who appears in manga and anime — which is why many otaku and Goths come to bow and ring the bell at his pentagram-covered shrine.
Seimei Jinja is located near Ichijo Modori Bridge in Kyoto. Inside the main hall, you can cross a miniature version of Ichijo Modori-bashi. It’s guarded by a ghoulish shikigami (ghost-like kami) and supposedly a gate between the human and spirit worlds. (See us crossing over in our video here.)
Seimei Shrine was founded in the year 1007 by Emperor Ichijō to honor Abe no Seimei, who died two years earlier. The shrine was built on the site of his house, and incorporates symbols and stories associated with the diviner. To modern eyes, this looks quite heavy metal Gothic!
Two large torii gates frame the entrance of Seimei’s shrine. Rather appropriately, they’re an ominous grey and lit by red and black pentagram lanterns.
Several panels tell the story of Abe no Seimei, who was the best-known practitioner of Onmyodo, or geomancy (a system of Japanese divination and magic, which involves concepts of the five elements of nature and yin/yang). Although the master was a real person, his feats are mixed with fantastical legends involving strange beasts and exorcisms.
As I wrote in my my book, the pentagram is an ancient symbol found in cultures worldwide including Japan and Greece. In Japan, it represents the balance of the 5 elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Metal and Wood).
In the contemporary West, the pentagram is most closely associated with Wicca and Satanism (particularly the inverted or downward-pointing star).
The pentacle symbol, supposedly invented by Abe no Seimei in the 10th century, is also known as the Seimei-star here.
Seimei Shrine’s architecture also incorporates motifs of the Japanese bellflower because it has five petal tips reminiscent of the pentagram.
Don’t miss out on the stone well / fountain, Seimei-i. Water drawn from the pentagram-marked stone is supposed to have magical properties.
And you must exit through the gift store… We wanted to buy all the pentagram souvenirs! (I got a wood wishing board or ema marked with a red star).
You can also purchase omikuji or fortune telling paper strips. If you receive a bad prediction, tie it to a branch to leave it behind.
If you’ve got a Gothic disposition and are interested in Japanese occult / Satanic history, then skip the best-known Kyoto temples and hail Seimei Shrine instead! For more details, watch our Instagram reel about visiting Seimei Jinja.
Speaking of the devil… We went to see the yokai statues lurking throughout Kyoto’s Taishogun Shopping Street. These apparitions are so popular here that there are yokai parades in Kyoto and Tokyo (see video of the yokai parade I attended in Koenji, which happens every year around Halloween).
Also known as Ichijo Yokai Street, this is a small stretch of shops guarded by nifty handmade statues of yokai (strange, supernatural apparitions from Japanese folklore).
It was fun to walk down Taishogun Street and hunt for yokai. Here’s Hitotsume-kozō, a bald child with one eye in the center.
(Japan folk monsters are so creative.. there’s also Shirime, a yokai with an eye for a butthole!)
The juxtaposition of spooky yokai and toilet paper is somehow perfect.
Love the creativity of the artists. Japan has a rich yokai (folk spirits/entities) culture that continues to inspire people today — as you’ve seen in my Koenji Yokai Parade coverage.
You can also find Shigeru Mizuki’s iconic yokai characters in anime/manga stores like Mandarake. (Kyoto is a wonderful place to shop for one of a kind artisan goods.)
And now, for some Kyoto Decadance… I enjoyed “me time” at The Hiramatsu Hotel Kyoto. This luxury boutique hotel was once a machiya (traditional wooden townhouse) storehouse and kimono shop, which preserves the original beams while adding in modern lattices and amenities (like a deep soak bathtub).
This was my happy place: longing in a pajama set provided by The Hiramatsu Kyoto, drinking matcha, and lying in bed.
The Zen aesthetics at the hotel were exquisite. Hiramatsu Kyoto is centrally located (close to the Gion geisha district) and therefore surrounded by buildings — but the clever design makes you feel as if you’re in a ryokan in the forest.
My favorite moments included enjoying this Japanese breakfast with views of the Zen stone and moss garden. There’s nothing like starting your day with miso soup, pickled veg, tamagoyaki and grilled fish.
We enjoyed a seasonal Italian dinner at La Luce, Hiramatsu’s restaurant. As you can see, everything was beautifully presented and incorporated the freshest ingredients of the season, such as this mushroom ravioli.
Pentagrams are everywhere in Kyoto… even on the flower vase at our table!
Thank you to The Hiramatsu Hotel Kyoto for the 5-star experience — the interior design, concierge service and attention to detail were impeccable.
And look who we found in Kyoto… Miffy! She’s literally big here — there’s a giant bunny statue at Kiddyland. You can also visit her Arashiyama Miffy Sakura Kitchen theme cafe, and Miffy’s Oyatsu-do by Miffy’s Kitchen (a bakery and souvenir shop) in Gion.
Super Mario is another Japanese pop culture icon. He was popping out of a warp pipe at Takashimaya on Shijo Dori, the main Kyoto shopping street.
These were promos for the new Mario Wonder video game — have you played it? I’m all about old-school platform games.
Tourists tend to crowd around Arashiyama and the most famous Kyoto temples. To escape the crowds, we went to Kodaiji, a quieter temple that also had a bamboo forest walkway. We saw people dressed in kimonos, taking photos next to the classic architecture.
Kodaiji is part of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism, hence the peaceful feel of the temple halls and teahouses designed by the legendary tea master, Sen-no-Rikyu.
For video footage of Seimei pentagram shrine and other Goth travel spots featured in this article, check out my reels on Insta @LaCarmina – thanks for the follow!
PS – Domo Arigato Travel for interviewing me about my favourite Japan attractions and foods, working in travel writing / TV, and more! Check out their interview with me here.
You can also read my latest Japan travel writing for Fodor’s: I reviewed Japanese luxury hotels for Fodor’s Finest, and did a destination guide to Nikko for The Go List. I also did a feature on Michelin starred chef Ryan Ratino’s new Florida restaurants, for Observer. Much more travel and food writing to come, promise!
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Satanic Goth Osaka, Japan! Buddhist Hell Temple Senko-ji, Demon shrine, Satanist Gothic metal Bar Midian, Farplane.
I think you can tell I had a hell of a time in Osaka, Japan! Around Halloween, I explored the most Satanic haunts in the city — including this demonic Namba shrine, Senko-ji Buddhist hell temple (there’s a video about my visit here...)
and devilish Rock Bar Midian — a joy to reunite with owner Fu-Ki after many years! Read on for my in-depth Goth Satanic Japanese guide to Osaka.
Let’s begin our journey through the underworld at Senko-ji hell temple, located on the outskirts of Osaka! I wrote about Asia’s bizarre hell parks and temples for National Geographic — in a nutshell, these are themed around gruesome-meets-kitschy depictions of Hell, as described in Buddhist mythology. Visitors to Buddhist hell temples like Senko-ji get to preview what it is like to suffer in the lowest realm of samsaric existence.
I descended into this temple of doom with Per Faxneld, one of the world’s leading Satanic scholars (he’s a Swedish professor/researcher/lecturer, and author of books including ”Satanic Feminism”). Check out our journey in this Insta reel as well.
Although Buddhist Hell isn’t connected to the Biblical Devil, there are a lot of visual and narrative parallels. If you accumulate bad karma in this lifetime, you can expect to be tortured by red-faced, horned demons in the Buddhist version of hell, which look a lot like Satan.
How to visit Senko-Ji Hell Temple: from central Osaka, it’s about 40 minutes by train to Hirano Ward. This historic outskirt of the city seemed to be populated entirely by older folk, which inadvertently gave the area a horror movie vibe!
Address of the Osakan hell temple: 4 Chome-12-21 Hirano Honmachi, Hirano Ward. We entered through this gate found inside the decrepit Hirano Honmachi shopping arcade.
You can visit other Buddhist hell temples throughout Japan, such as the hell museum at Izu Gokurakuen, and the hell cave at Kōsanji Temple in Kyoto. Generally, they’re filled with dioramas, statues, art, and interactive exhibits that communicate teachings of Buddhist hell — and give you a glimpse of the fiery fate awaiting sinners.
Many of these attractions are on the cheesy side — like these cutaway boards that let you pretend to be Enma or Yama, judge of the afterlife and king of hell! If you’re more of a “goody two shoes,” you can put your finger into the red thread “love knot” that binds you to the enlightened Buddharupa.
Senko-ji temple is part of the Kōyasan Shingon sect, and dates back to the Edo period (1603–1867). The popular hell hall was added in 1989. The monks and volunteers that run the temple are good-natured about the hellish elements — the head monk said my Satanic horns were “kawaii!” We bought a 100 yen ticket, which gave us entry to the Hall of Hell.
We were intrigued by this push button gizmo that predicts whether you’ll end up in Buddhist hell. Answer questions such as “do you waste time and money” to see where you’ll be reborn in your next life!
To enter into the inferno, we had to scan the QR code on our ticket. Ominous doors slid open…
… revealing this rather Satanic scene! That’s Enma or Yama, ruler of Hell, with the”king” kanji stamped on his hat. Stand before him for your judgement and punishment.
We struck the gong in front of Enma — and it activated smoke, red lights, eerie music, and a glitchy video, much like in a haunted house.
Crouched next to the fanged red demon is Datsue-ba. As Per Faxneld wrote, she’s “an old woman who’s said to sit by the Sanzu River in the Buddhist underworld, torturing souls as they attempt to cross the river. Datsue-ba is believed to make adult souls strip off their clothes, and if they have no clothes, she strips them of their skin instead.”
At Buddhist hell temples and parks, the statues are are cartoonish yet graphic: you might see people getting their limbs lopped off and intestines pulled out. In Asia’s version of hell, there’s always a giant wok filled with victims screaming as they are boiled alive in peanut oil — see above!
We watched a 10-15 minute video that expresses the terrors of hell, especially the creative punishments awaiting those reborn into the lowest Buddhist realm of existence. At the same time, leave it to Japan to add some cuteness to the experience… The exit sign looks like a round, kawaii demon.
Outside, you can also stick your head into this rock to hear the sounds of sinners screaming in “Hell’s Cauldron”. (Watch my reel on @LaCarmina Instagram about my Senko-ji visit, to see what it was like!)
Ironically, the realm of the gods is located underground at Osaka’s Senko-ji. We descended the stairs into a cave lit up with a giant LED rainbow mandala surrounded by Buddha statues. Take off your shoes, sit cross-legged and feel the power of chi.
Senjo-ji also has this koi pond with a fierce statue of Ippon Fudoson (Fudō Myōō, the wrathful destroyer of evil). The watery mist at his feet add a theatrical element to the hand-washing ablutions.
I wore my devil horns and Satanic Bar Midian t-shirt to the temple. Senko-ji isn’t a popular tourist attraction, so there were only a few other Japanese visitors on the grounds.
If you’re curious about the evolution of Asian hell gardens (first built next to Buddhist monasteries to communicate concepts of hell) and how they evolved into massive, kitschy theme parks, check out my article in National Geographic.
The “heavenly” section has peaceful Buddha statues wrapped in red cloaks… but there’s a demon lurking in the shadows!
If you’re intrigued by the Satanic side of Osaka, come to the Jigokudo or “hall of hell” of Senko-ji! I’d love to return to see the monks perform a fire ritual.
As Per Faxneld put it, “It’s well worth the trip, offering a fascinating glimpse into the multifaceted ways that Buddhist groups may attempt to offer lessons in morality.” Watch our Instagram reel of SenkoJi to see video footage of this fascinating hell temple!
Speaking of Japanese Satanists… I rode the train with No-Face (from the Spirited Away anime film) at Parco! This photo spot is located at Donguri Kyowakoku (Studio Ghibli Store) on the 6th floor of the Shinsaibashi department store. There’s also a photo area with Totoro holding an umbrella.
Per Faxneld and I fit right in with this naughty spirit. (If you haven’t seen the Spirited Away movie, it’s a must.)
If you need more proof that Osaka is Satan-friendly… Here’s the devilish Namba Yasaka Jinja! The 1975 design of the Shinto shrine is retrofuturistic fierceness.
Although the shrine looks like Lucifer’s maw, Namba Yasaka actually represents a roaring lion. You can purchase themed special ema, or small wooden plaques, and write your wishes and intentions on the back.
Rowrrr! I’m wearing an “ANOEL” faux fur shrug that I got at Laforet Harajuku because… well, how could I not.
Osaka’s famous lion looks a bit like a dragon or demon. Legend has it that the fanged guardian deity swallows evil spirits (somehow, Per and I survived).
I got to encounter more majestic lions at The Royal Park Canvas Osaka Kitahama, where I stayed. The hip, boutique hotel seemed designed for me: the lounge played disco music, and guests can pick up free moisturizing face masks and hair elastics, as well as enjoy a free drink for each night’s stay.
After a long day of exploring, I was glad to unwind in my spacious room with lion pillows and a deep bathtub. The Royal Park Canvas Osaka Kitahama strikes the perfect balance for travelers — you get a cosy and artful experience at a great price.
The hotel is in a quiet but central location in Osaka, right by a subway station and next to a convenience store. And be sure to enjoy the breakfast spread, which included eggs, curry, and miso soup. Cheers to The Royal Park Canvas Osaka Kitahama for a marvelous time. #pr
Time to throw the devil horns at Rock Bar Midian in Osaka, a favorite watering hole for Japan’s Satanists and heavy metal headbangers! I was pleased to reunite with Visual Kei rock star Fu-ki, the former vocalist of Blood.
As you can tell from the black-red color scheme and devilish decor, Midian is our type of bar. We listened to heavy metal (and watched music videos on the TV) next to Dracula wine bottles and Baphomet statues. Anyone can request a hard rock or metal song, and Fu-Ki will cue it up – and maybe belt along to it the music!
Midian has a wide range of cocktails with Satanic names — I adore the Diablo, a black currant liqueur, lime and ginger beer mix.
Bar Midian also pays homage to Taiki-san, the wizard of Osaka’s Satanic Shop Territory and overlord of Gothic club Black Veil. Taiki sadly passed in 2022, but the subculture that he cultivated has continued on. While his shop Territory is temporarily closed, it will re-open and people can purchase occult / bizarre / dark talismans from the website. Taiki’s Black Veil parties also live on — there was recently a Halloween edition.
Once again, even in an ominous Satanic space, we get some cuteness mixed in. (Funny story — I learned that several of the tattooed Gothic customers were hardcore fans of Miffy the cute bunny, like me!)
Rock on, Fu-Ki, for welcoming us back to Bar Midian. He speaks English, so I hope you’ll come to sit at his counter and bond over heavy metal!
Order a Satan or Devil’s Beer, and enjoy the rock metal gothic vibe at Midian. It can be a little hard to find, so look for the sign on the left, and head up to the 2nd floor. (Address: 10-16 Doyamacho, Kita-Ku Kano Dai-1 Leisure Bldg. 2F, Osaka)
One more alternative bar before we go…. This is the fabulous Farplane. I went to the new location in Shinsaibashi Parco, but there’s also one in Amemura.
Farplane puts you in a fetish cyber psychedelic space-age universe, with upbeat dance music to match.
The bar is an extension of Farplane Night, a long-running Osaka party that draws in an alien-cyber-alt crowd. (Think colorful hair and latex dresses).
Farplane started as a small alternative boutique in 2005. Although their universe has expanded, it says true to its cheeky-sexy roots.
The Farplane Parco bar (located in the basement) encourages you to get your freak on.
If you’re in Osaka for Farplane Night, it’s a must — an enormous fetish party that might involve burlesque, pole dancers, eccentric performances, and S&M.
I tried the eyeball apple cocktails, to fit with the neon pop theme at Farplane.
Some final Osaka Goth travel tips — check out the cute/Gothic/Lolita clothing stores at Hep Five and Umeda Est, as well the vintage fashion in Shinsaibashi. For more photos and guides to shopping in Amerikamura, see my previous post here.
I encountered some devilish clothes in Amerikamura, and horns in Dotonbori (the street food district).
Dotonbori is known for its iconic neon sights like the Glico running man. This area can get packed with tourists, however…
.. which is why I spoke to Yahoo and Huffington Post about visiting less touristed destinations in Japan. I also wrote about unexpected items travelers should pack for Fodor’s, drawing from my experiences in over 70 countries.
Soon, I’ll be publishing an Essential Restaurants food guide to Osaka for Eater! Of course, I ate my weight in takoyaki and okonomiyaki, as well as Hokkaido soft serve… I love Kansai cuisine.
I’ll leave you with the most Satanic Japanese thing of all… purikura! I think our filtered AI faces are more frightening than any of the devilish places in Osaka.
If you have any questions about Gothic Osaka or Japanese Satanism, let me know in the comments. And for more photos and videos/reels from Osaka, add me on Instagram @LaCarmina!
LA CARMINA
