Shimogamo Shrine

Coordinates: 35°02′20″N 135°46′21″E / 35.03889°N 135.77250°E / 35.03889; 135.77250
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Shimogamo Shrine
下鴨神社
Shimogamo Shrine
Religion
AffiliationShinto
Deitytamayoribime (玉依姫命)
kamotaketunuminomikoto (賀茂建角身命)
FestivalAoi Matsuri
(Kamo no Matsuri; May 15th)
TypeShikinaisya
Yamashiro no Kuni ichinomiya
Twenty-Two Shrines
Former kanpeitaisha
Chokusaisha
Beppyo jinja
Location
Location59 Shimogamo Izumigawa-chō, Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
Shimogamo Shrine is located in Japan
Shimogamo Shrine
Shown within Japan
Geographic coordinates35°02′20″N 135°46′21″E / 35.03889°N 135.77250°E / 35.03889; 135.77250
Architecture
Architectural styleNagare-zukuri
Date established6th century
Website
www.shimogamo-jinja.or.jp/pg150.html
Glossary of Shinto

Shimogamo Shrine (Japanese: 下鴨神社, Hepburn: Shimogamo-jinja), is a significant Shinto holy site in Kyoto city's Sakyō ward in the Shimogamo district. The formal name of the shrine is Kamo-mioya-jinja (賀茂御祖神社).[1]

Shimogamo Shrine is among the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, dating back to the 6th century. It is also recognized as one of the seventeen Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The name Kamo-jinja refers generally to Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine, which are two traditionally linked shrines in Kyoto.[2] Shimogamo Shrine is the older of the two Kamo shrines in Kyoto, believed to be around 100 years older than Kamigamo. It dates back to the 6th century, which is centuries before Kyoto became Japan's capital in 794 (known as Heian-kyō). The Kamo-jinja serve the purpose of guarding Kyoto from harmful forces.[3]

The term "jinja" denotes the deities of the Kamo family that are worshiped in the shrine. It also refers to the surrounding forest, which used to be a part of the ancient Tadasu forest (Tadasu no Mori). Additionally, the shrine's name honors the Kamo clan, the early inhabitants of the region, many of whom still reside in the area and have traditionally served the shrine.[4]

Shimogamo Shrine honors the worship of Tamayori-hime (also known as 'the spirit-inviting maiden') and her father, Kamo Taketsunomi. Tamayori-hime is the mother of Kamo Wakeikazuchi, the thunder god of Kamo, and was impregnated by Honoikazuchi-no-mikoto, the God of Fire and Thunder.[5][6] The Kamigamo Shrine is a shrine in Kyoto and it is dedicated to Kamo Wakeikazuchi. This shrine worships gods that are related to thunder.

Gallery[change | change source]

  • Maple leaves and paper lantern at the shrine
    Maple leaves and paper lantern at the shrine
  • This pathway leads through Tadasu no Mori (the "Forest Where Lies are Revealed").
    This pathway leads through Tadasu no Mori (the "Forest Where Lies are Revealed").
  • Rōmon
    Rōmon
  • A pair of torii gates, Kawai-jinja
    A pair of torii gates, Kawai-jinja
  • Mitarai-sha
    Mitarai-sha
  • Taikobashi bridge
    Taikobashi bridge

Related pages[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ Richard, Ponsonby-Fane. (1964) Visiting Famous Shrines in Japan, pp. 1-118.
  2. ↑ Terry, Philip. (1914). Terry's Japanese empire, p. 479.
  3. ↑ Miyazaki, Makoto. "Lens on Japan: Defending Heiankyo from Demons," Archived 2011-03-21 at the Wayback Machine Daily Yomiuri. December 20, 2005.
  4. ↑ Nelson, John K. (2000). Enduring Identities: The Guise of Shinto in Contemporary Japan, pp. 92-99.
  5. ↑ Kōjien Japanese dictionary, entry for Tamayori-bime.
  6. ↑ Kokugakuin University's digital Encyclopedia of Shinto, entry for Tamayorihime Archived 2021-04-26 at the Wayback Machine.

Other websites[change | change source]

Template:World Heritage Kyoto

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