| Kamigamo Shrine 上賀茂神社 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Shinto |
| Deity | Kamowakeikazuchinomikoto |
| Festival | Aoi Matsuri (Kamo no Matsuri; May 15th) |
| Type | Shikinaisha Twenty-Two Shrines Yamashiro no Kuni ichinomiya Former kanpeitaisha Chokusaisha Beppyo jinja |
| Location | |
| Location | 339 Kamigamomotoyama, Kita-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture |
  Shown within Japan | |
| Geographic coordinates | 35°03′37″N 135°45′10″E / 35.06028°N 135.75278°E |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Sangensya-Nagare-zukuri |
| Date established | 678 |
| Website | |
| www | |
 Glossary of Shinto | |
Kamigamo Shrine (上賀茂神社, Kamigamo Jinja) is an important Shinto sanctuary on the banks of the Kamo River in north Kyoto, first founded in 678.[1] Its formal name is the Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine (賀茂別雷神社, Kamo-wakeikazuchi jinja).[2]
It is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan and one of the seventeen Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which have been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The term Kamo-jinja in Japanese is a general reference to Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine, the traditionally linked Kamo shrines of Kyoto.[3] The Kamo-jinja serve the function of protecting Kyoto from malign influences.[4]
The jinja name identifies the Kamo family of kami or deities who are venerated. The name also refers to the ambit of shrine's nearby woods, which are vestiges of the primeval forest of Tadasu no Mori. In addition, the shrine name references the area's early inhabitants, the Kamo clan, many of whom continue to live near the shrine their ancestors traditionally served.[5]
Kamogamo Shrine is dedicated to the veneration of Kamo Wake-ikazuchi, the kami of thunder.
- ^ Kyoto Prefectural Government Tourism Division: Kamigamo Archived 2009-08-28 at the Wayback Machine; Iwao, Seiichi et al. (2002). Dictionnaire historique du Japon, p. 1712.
- ^ Richard, Ponsonby-Fane. (1964) Visiting Famous Shrines in Japan, pp. 119-175.
- ^ Terry, Philip. (1914). Terry's Japanese empire, p. 479.
- ^ Miyazaki, Makoto. "Lens on Japan: Defending Heiankyo from Demons," Archived 2011-03-21 at the Wayback Machine Daily Yomiuri. December 20, 2005.
- ^ Nelson, John K. (2000). Enduring Identities: The Guise of Shinto in Contemporary Japan, pp. 92-99.