Kamigamo Shrine, Shinto shrine in Kita-ku district, Kyoto, Japan.
Kamigamo Jinja is a place of worship in Kita-ku district, Kyoto, Japan, consisting of several wooden buildings set within gardens maintained along the Kamo River. Two scarlet torii gates mark the entrance to a wide complex containing main halls, auxiliary shrines, and storehouses for ceremonial objects.
The complex was erected in 678 to venerate Kamo Wake-Ikazuchi and grew into one of the most important worship sites of the capital during the Heian period. Imperial envoys visited the site regularly to pray for peace and prosperity throughout the realm.
The complex preserves the tradition of the Aoi Matsuri festival, where processions of hundreds of participants dressed in Heian-era clothing pass through the grounds each year. Visitors today can still watch the horse dedication ceremony, where riders in traditional dress show reverence to the thunder deity.
The grounds open daily from 5:30 AM to 5:00 PM and can be reached by several city bus routes from central Kyoto. Visitors should note that some inner areas are accessible only during special ceremonies, while the gardens can be walked through freely.
Priests construct two cone-shaped sand mounds every morning in the courtyard, called tatezuna, representing the link between divine spirits and the human world. This practice originates in ancient purification rituals and has continued without interruption for over a thousand years.
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