History
Kamigamo-jinja Shrine 上賀茂神社
One of the sacred hearts of Kyoto, and a spiritual and social hub
Located about three and a half kilometers upriver from neighboring Shimogamo-jinja Shrine 
, Kamigamo-jinja Shrine and its spacious grounds are surrounded by a quiet neighborhood waiting to be explored.
Quick Facts
The shrine grounds host a handicrafts market on the fourth Sunday of every month
One of Kyoto's biggest festivals, the Kamo Festival, which is also known as the Aoi Matsuri, is hosted at the two Kamo shrines
How to Get There
The shrine site is easily accessible by local trains and buses.
To get to Kamigamo-jinja Shrine, take the No. 4 Kyoto City Bus from Kitayama Station (on the Karasuma Subway Line) and get off at the Kamigamo Jinja-mae bus stop.
Kyoto's oldest shrine, and one of its largest
Kamigamo-jinja is said to have been built at the end of the 7th century, even before the capital was moved to Kyoto. The grounds of the shrine are massive, spanning approximately 660,000 square meters, encompassing even the mountain that sits behind it.
Home to one of Kyoto's biggest festivals
Every May the shrine hosts one of Kyoto's three main festivals, the Aoi Matsuri . The festival's highlight is the parade from the Imperial Palace to the Kamo shrines and features over 500 participants dressed up in the aristocratic style of the Heian period (794-1185).
Explore the quiet and charming neighborhood
Near the shrine there is a neighborhood of traditional houses where Shinto priests affiliated with the shrine once lived. The national government has named it an Important Traditional Residential Area.
* The information on this page may be subject to change due to COVID-19.
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