Cities Kyoto Shimogamo and Kamigamo Shrines
Shimogamo and Kamigamo Shrines
- Heritage/Temple/Shrine
- Garden/Green Space/Nature
The why: Two of Kyoto's oldest and most important shrines -- both UNESCO World Heritage Sites that predate the city itself, connected by the Kamo River and the spectacular Aoi Matsuri procession each May.
Gotcha / logistics: The two shrines are 3.5 km apart. Budget time for both or pick one. Shimogamo is the easier visit; Kamigamo requires a bus or long walk from the nearest subway station.
The Kamo Shrines — Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine — are both recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are two of the most important and oldest shrines in Kyoto. In fact, the Kamo Shrines predate the city’s establishment as national capital in 794. Throughout the thousand years that Kyoto served as Japan’s capital city, the Imperial Court patronized the shrines as establishments dedicated to the city’s protection and prosperity.
Shimogamo Shrine
Shimogamo Shrine (下鴨神社, Shimogamo Jinja, “Lower Kamo Shrine”) is located at the junction of the Takano and Kamo rivers. It is surrounded by the Tadasu no Mori, a primeval forest preserved over the centuries containing trees that are up to 600 years old. Walking through this ancient forest to reach the shrine is one of the most atmospheric approaches to any Kyoto shrine — the canopy of enormous old-growth trees creates a sacred atmosphere before you even reach the shrine buildings.
The shrine’s vermilion structures are set among the forest, and the grounds include several smaller auxiliary shrines. It is a popular spot for traditional Shinto weddings.
Kamigamo Shrine
Kamigamo Shrine (上賀茂神社, Kamigamo Jinja, “Upper Kamo Shrine”) stands about three and a half kilometers upriver from Shimogamo Shrine. It features two distinctive cone-shaped sand mounds (tatesuna) on its grounds that serve a purification function and have been made ritually since ancient times. The shrine sits along a stream, and its grounds feel more spacious and rural than Shimogamo’s, with open lawns and a quieter atmosphere.
Aoi Matsuri
The Kamo Shrines jointly hold one of Kyoto’s three biggest festivals, the Aoi Matsuri. Every year on May 15 at 10:30 AM, a large procession dressed in the traditional style of the imperial court (Heian-era costumes) leaves from the Kyoto Imperial Palace, continues to Shimogamo, and ends the day at Kamigamo. It is one of Japan’s oldest and most elegant festivals. Both shrines also host other smaller festivals throughout the year.
Getting There
Shimogamo Shrine: A 15-minute walk from Demachi-Yanagi Station on the Keihan Line. Alternatively, Kyoto City Bus number 4 from Demachi-Yanagi to Shimogamojinja-mae bus stop (5 minutes, 230 yen).
Kamigamo Shrine: 30 minutes from Demachi-Yanagi Station or Shimogamo Shrine by Kyoto City Bus number 4 (230 yen), get off at Kamigamojinja-mae (last stop). Alternatively, a 15-minute walk from Kitayama Station on the Karasuma Subway Line.
Hours and Admission
Shimogamo Shrine: 6:00 to 17:00. Kamigamo Shrine: 5:30 to 17:00. Both shrines have no closing days. Both are free to enter.
More in Kyoto
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Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
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Gion District
Kyoto's most famous geisha district where traditional wooden machiya line atmospheric lanes -- the best chance of glimpsing a geiko or maiko on their way to an evening engagement.
Gion Shirakawa
The willow-lined canal lined with wooden ochaya teahouses on the north edge of Gion — the most photogenic evening pocket of the geisha district, and the section that remains open to walk.
Higashiyama District
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