Kamikamo Shrine

Kamigamo Shrine is one of the oldest shrines in Kyoto, located in Kita Ward, Kyoto City. Its formal name is Kamowakeikazuchi Shrine (Kamo Wakeikazuchi Jinja). It enshrines Kamo Wakeikazuchi-no-Okami, the deity of thunder, and its origin lies in the ancient tradition that the deity descended upon Mount Koyama behind the shrine in the age of the gods. In the reign of Emperor Temmu, the 40th emperor, shrine buildings were erected at the present site in 677.

Long revered as the tutelary shrine of the Kamo clan, it came to be worshiped on a national scale as a guardian shrine of the imperial capital after the transfer of the capital to Heian-kyo. Today, it draws worshipers from all over Japan as a deity of protection from misfortune, directional taboos, all-directions protection, victory, and protection from lightning, and is also regarded as the guardian deity of the electrical industry.

On its spacious grounds are two National Treasures, the main hall and the supplementary hall, as well as 41 Important Cultural Properties scattered throughout the site. These shrine buildings were rebuilt in 1863 and still preserve their appearance from that era. The approximately 230,000 tsubo grounds were registered in 1994 as part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.”

From the first torii gate to the second torii gate along the approach, broad lawns spread out, and in spring beautiful blossoms such as the Saioin cherry and Gosho cherry bloom in profusion. The Nara no Ogawa stream that flows through the grounds was also immortalized in the waka poem by Fujiwara no Ietaka: “The evening breeze in the Nara no Ogawa stream—its sign of summer is the ritual purification.” It is a place where one can feel the changing beauty of the seasons. In summer especially, it is a familiar sight to see visitors cooling their feet in the stream.

The Kamo Kurabeuma horse race held on May 5 and the Aoi Festival on May 15 are widely known as ancient and elegant Shinto rites. Among them, the Aoi Festival is counted as one of Kyoto’s three great festivals, and the procession of participants dressed in Heian-period court attire making their way through the streets of the ancient capital captivates many visitors.

Within the shrine grounds are many highlights, including the Shinmeisha stable, where the sacred horse Kamiyama-go is kept; the Hosodono hall, where Tatezuna sand mounds symbolizing the place of the deity’s descent are placed; and the temizuya purification pavilion with its spring water. There is also a special worship program, which allows visitors who apply in advance to be guided by a Shinto priest through the normally non-public main hall and supplementary hall.

At Katayama Miko Shrine (Kataoka-sha), the first subsidiary shrine, Tama Yori Hime no Mikoto, the mother goddess of Kamo Wakeikazuchi-no-Okami, is enshrined. It is believed to grant blessings for good relationships, fertility, and family safety, and it is said that even Murasaki Shikibu visited here in ancient times to pray for the fulfillment of her love. The waka poem composed on that occasion, “How long I wait for the cuckoo’s call—may I stand in the dewdrops of Kataoka’s grove and grow wet,” remains today as a poem monument within the grounds.

In recent years, the newly erected vermilion Great Torii gate, about 8 meters high, built in 2020, and the heart-shaped Kataoka ema votive plaques modeled after the leaves of the futaba aoi plant have become popular, and the shrine is loved by many visitors as a place where history and modernity harmonize.