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If you go upstream along the Kamigamo River, you become surrounded by bright spring greenery. If you take a walk there on the grounds of the Kamigamo Shrine, you will enter a fresh and invigorating natural environment. Here the ancient traditions are still alive, pressing in from all sides. The official name of Kamigamo Shrine is Kamowakeikazuchi Shrine, and as shown by that name, the shrine is dedicated to the god of thunder and lightning (ikazuchi), Kamowakeikazuchi-no-kami. It is said that this is the oldest shrine in Kyoto, as it was first established far back in the mythological age. It is thought that the shrine building on the present site was first constructed in 678 AD. After the transfer of the capital to Heiankyo in Kyoto, it was widely believed to be the guardian shrine of the capital, and people offered prayers and presented gifts at the shrine whenever there was a national crisis. It is said that the family crest, or coat of arms of the shrine, the wild ginger Mitsuba Aoi leaf, is the crest of the resident god, and the shrine was deeply patronized by the Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Shogun of Japan. Along with the Shimogamo Shrine (Kamomioya Shrine), the shrine has been dedicated to the local Kamigamo deity since it was established back in ancient times, and so together, the two shrines are commonly known the Kamo Shrine (Kamosha in Japanese).
North-northwest of the Kamigamo Shrine, there is a small mountain known as Mt. Koyama (literally, the mountain of the god), where it has long been said that the god Kamowakeikazuchi-no-kami once appeared, and accordingly, this mountain has been the subject of worship from ancient times. Later, as many people prayed in the direction of Mt. Koyama, the Kamigamo Shrine was built at the foot of the mountain.
There are many small pure streams running from the north to the south through the shrine grounds, such as the Nara-no-ogawa River (literally, the small river of Nara), forming the characteristic peaceful and pure scenery of this shrine. In addition, there is a horse riding ground on the side of the approach path to the shrine, and as special religious ceremonies have been held at the shrine since ancient times, Kamigamo Shrine has been called the origin of horse riding in Japan.
Featuring roof tiles made of the bark of Japanese cypress hinoki trees, the elegant structures are lined up on the grounds of the shrine, which cover an area of 664,000 ㎡. At present, there are two main buildings set up to the east and the west, the Honden Hall and the Gonden Hall, both of which have been specified as national treasures. In addition, there is a total of about 60 buildings spread around the grounds, and 4 of these buildings, including the Hosodono Hall, have been specified as important cultural properties, and the whole site has been inscribed at UNESCO as a World Heritage Property.
Furthermore, the yakimochi toasted rice cakes sold in front of the Kamigamo Shrine Gate are famous, and the product is favored as a souvenir. These yakimochi cakes were sold even back in the Edo Period, but in those days, they weren't filled with bean-paste as they are now, and were simple toasted rice cakes. From the middle of the Edo Period, during the Aoi Matsuri religious festival, the cakes were filled with bean-paste and sold as good-luck rice cakes. In time, these cakes became famous as the pastry found in front of the gate to the Kamigamo Shrine.
The wild ginger Mitsuba Aoi leafs that so easily catch the eye are the symbol of the Aoi Matsuri and the glory of the Heian Period. In kind, the Aoi Matsuri is a symbol of the change in the seasons from spring to summer. |
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| Romon Gate |
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| Ichino Torii (First Torii Gate) |
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| Nara-no-ogawa River |
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| Mt. Koyama |
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