Core Kyoto

Kyoto is dotted with Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines offering amulets for health, longevity, safety, easy childbirth and other blessings. An amulet warding off an epidemic centuries ago now eases Kyotoites' anxiety in the age of COVID-19. But amulets change with the times. A card that slips into a wallet and a microSD containing a Buddhist image for uploading to a mobile device keep the deities' spirits close by. Discover the charm of amulets through their history and their creation process.