Shimogamo Jinja is one of Kyoto's oldest Shinto shrines and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Located in Sakyo Ward, north of Tadasu no Mori forest, Shimogamo Shrine (Kamomioya Shrine) has been a guardian of the Imperial Palaces, since Kyoto became the capital of Japan in 794.
Opening times and admission
Open 6 am to 5 pm, all year round.
Admission is free.
How to get there
From Kyoto Station :
Take the 4 or 205 City bus to Shin-Aoibashi Stop (28 minutes, 14 stops, 230 yen), then walk for 3 minutes to reach the shrine
Take the Karasuma Line to Kuramaguchi Station (11 minutes, 6 stops, 260 yen), then walk for about 20 minutes to reach the shrine.
Take the Nara Line to Tofukuji Station (2 min, 1 stop), then take the Keihan Main Line to Demachiyanagi Station ( 16 minutes, 6 stops, 430 yen), then walk for about 10 minutes to reach Shimogamo Jinja.
From Kinkakuji take the 205 City Bus (20 min, 13 stops, 230 yen)
From Kyoto Imperial Palace walk for around 20 minutes, or take the 205 City Bus from Furitsu Idai Byoin mae Stop to Shin-Aoibashi (5 minutes, 3 stops, 230 yen), then walk for 3 minutes.
Address: 〒606-0807 Kyoto, Sakyo Ward, Shimogamo Izumikawacho, 5 9, Japan,
The Shrine's two main halls are reconstructions dating back to 1863, and have been designated National Treasures.
Shimogamo Jinja has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994.
The Aoi Festival (Kamo Matsuri) takes place on the 15th of May each year. The festivities/processions start at the Imperial Palace, continue to Shimogamo and end at Kamigamo Shrine (Shimogamo's sister shrine).
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How long does it take to visit Shimogamo Shrine?
I walked from Demachiyanagi Station until I reached Tadasu-no-Mori Forest then ventured to all the smaller shrines which paved the way to Shimogamo Jinja. This first part took around 40-50 minutes. Visiting the shrine with all its buildings took another 40-45 minutes.
It was the type of shrine visit I needed after admiring Kyoto's busiest temples and shrines.
If you find yourself in need of a bit of tranquillity, then give Shimogamo Shrine and Tadasu-no-Mori forest a try. It's not your usual 'tourist spot' and I enjoyed it much more precisely because of that.
Have you ever been there? If so, I would love to hear about your visit there, in the comments below.
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I hope life is treating you well.
Take care.