Kamo Shrine, Shinto sanctuary complex in northeast Kyoto, Japan.

Kamo is a general name for two Shinto shrines on opposite sides of the Kamo River in northeast Kyoto: Kamigamo Shrine (Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine) in Kita Ward, on the east bank upstream, and Shimogamo Shrine (Kamo-mioya Shrine) in Sakyo Ward, at the confluence of the Takano and Kamo rivers. The two are about 2 km apart. Shimogamo stands inside Tadasu no Mori, a primeval forest of roughly 12.4 hectares that is left to grow naturally, neither planted nor pruned.

Both sites existed before the city became the capital of the country and served emperors as important places of worship in the following centuries. The shrines received regular imperial support and were rebuilt several times.

The name Aoi refers to the hollyhock leaves that decorate participants and ox-drawn carriages during the annual procession. The ceremony blends imperial traditions with the worship of the shrine's guardian deities and draws visitors from across Japan.

Shimogamo sits about a quarter hour on foot from Demachi-Yanagi Station, while public buses also stop nearby. Kamigamo is accessible via local bus lines that depart from several points around the city.

Tadasu no Mori surrounds the southern grounds and forms one of the few ancient forests within a major Japanese city. Some of the trees there are several hundred years old and have been maintained as a sacred boundary for centuries.