[VOL.80] ⛩️ Visiting Kamigamo Shrine | The Blueprint for 'Turning Your Life Around' Taught by the Thunder God
Hello.
Thank you for always reading my blog.
This time, I will share my visit to Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto. 🗾
[Date of Visit] Wednesday, January 21, 2026 (Sunny)☀️
①🛕 To-ji Temple *Previously introduced
②⛩️ Kamo Mioya Shrine: Shimogamo Shrine *Previously introduced
③⛩️ Kamo Wakeikazuchi Shrine: Kamigamo Shrine ← This is where we are now
④⛩️ Imamiya Shrine
⑤🛕 Rokuon-ji Temple: Kinkaku-ji
⑥⛩️ Kitano Tenmangu Shrine
⑦🛕 Ninna-ji Temple
In this article, I will introduce the third place I visited, "⛩️ Kamigamo Shrine."
Formally known as "⛩️ Kamo Wakeikazuchi Shrine," this shrine has one of the oldest histories in Kyoto, and the entire precinct is a registered World Heritage site.
It enshrines the deity who is the "child" of the deity at ⛩️ Shimogamo Shrine, which I introduced last time, and both shrines together are called the "Kamo Shrines."
[Table of Contents]
What is Kamigamo Shrine? | The Oldest Sanctuary in Kyoto Protected by the Thunder God
Tatesuna and Hosodono | The Place Where Gods Descend
Walking Along the Nara-no-Ogawa River | A Purifying Space of Water and Greenery
Visiting Auxiliary and Subordinate Shrines | A 45-Minute Stroll Through the Precincts
After the Visit | The Meaning of the Word 'Turnaround'
Summary
[Basic Information]
■ Formal Name: Kamo Wakeikazuchi Shrine
■ Common Name: Kamigamo Shrine
■ Location: 339 Kamigamo Motoyama, Kita-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
■ Visiting Hours: Free access to the grounds (Office and amulet counters have specific hours; please check the official website)
■ Access: Immediately after getting off at the "Kamigamo-jinja-mae" Kyoto City Bus stop
■ Parking: Paid parking available on the west side of the grounds (rates may vary during peak seasons)
■ Main Blessings: Protection from evil, protection from disaster, victory, good fortune, and family safety
* Special worship of the main hall is held during certain periods for a fee. Please check the official website for the latest information.
⛩️What is Kamigamo Shrine? | The Oldest Sanctuary in Kyoto Protected by the Thunder God
The deity of ⛩️ Kamigamo Shrine is ⛩️ Kamo Wakeikazuchi no Okami.
As the name suggests, this is a "Thunder" god, and it has long gathered faith for blessings of protection from evil, disaster prevention, good fortune, and victory.
It is a shrine with an incredibly long history, said to have been founded even before the Common Era.
Together with ⛩️ Shimogamo Shrine, it is collectively called the "Kamo Shrines," and its annual festival is known as the "Aoi Matsuri (Kamo Festival)," one of the three major festivals in Kyoto.
The Aoi Matsuri is an elegant and prestigious ritual where a procession dressed in Heian dynasty costumes parades through the streets of the capital.
The grounds boast a vast area of approximately 230,000 tsubo, featuring two National Treasures (the main hall and the worship hall) and 41 Important Cultural Properties.
In 1994, it was registered as a World Cultural Heritage site as part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto."
I am deeply impressed that a shrine of this scale and history still functions as an active place of worship today.
When I passed through the first torii gate and started walking along the approach, I felt as if the air had changed.
On this day, a clear winter blue sky spread out, and the crisp air felt even more refreshing.
Cut off from the hustle and bustle of the surroundings, I was enveloped in a quiet, clear atmosphere.
Unlike the crowds one might imagine from the word "World Heritage," a strangely calm atmosphere drifted through the air.
Located at the foot of the mountains, this shrine offers a space that feels at one with nature.
Greenery grows on both sides of the approach, and every time the wind blows, you can hear the rustling of the trees.
When I think of a thunder god, I somehow have a rather intense image.
Standing in the precincts, that impression changed a little.
Thunder is the power to break down old things and create new flows.
In other words, it might be a symbol of "rebirth" rather than "destruction."
Moving things that were stagnant and turning the flow of events in a better direction.
I felt that such power resides in this place.
Tatesuna and Hosodono | The Place Where Gods Descend
When you pass through the second torii gate, the first thing that catches your eye is the "Tatesuna" (standing sand).
Two cones made of white sand placed in front of the Hosodono.
It is said that these are modeled after "Mt. Koyama," where the deity Kamo Wakeikazuchi no Okami is said to have first descended.
Mt. Koyama is a mountain located to the north of ⛩️ Kamigamo Shrine and has been revered as a sacred mountain since ancient times.
The height is about 1 meter, I suppose.
The Tatesuna, shining white in the winter sunlight, emitted a dignified air that made me straighten my posture naturally as I looked at the beautifully arranged cones.
Pine needles are placed on the top of the Tatesuna.
Based on the principles of Onmyodo, there are three on the left and two on the right as you face them.
It seems there is a deep meaning in this arrangement as well.
The balance of odd and even numbers, yin and yang, may be contained in these small pine needles.
The Hosodono is designated as an Important Cultural Property and, together with the Tatesuna, creates the iconic landscape of ⛩️ Kamigamo Shrine. Many worshippers stopped here to quietly put their hands together.
I also stood there for a while, gazing at the Tatesuna.
A reproduction of the place where the gods descended.
I thought that the Japanese sensibility of "feeling sacredness in tangible things" was condensed in this Tatesuna.
Expressing invisible things in a visible form.
I felt a quiet emotion that this aesthetic sense and faith have been passed down for over a thousand years.
Walking Along the Nara-no-Ogawa River | A Purifying Space of Water and Greenery
The "Nara-no-Ogawa River" flowing through the grounds is another symbolic presence of ⛩️ Kamigamo Shrine.
Clear water flows quietly, and the green of the trees reflects on the water's surface.
Just by looking at that scene, I felt as if my heart was being cleansed.
The clear winter light sparkles and reflects on the water surface, and it has a different charm from the Mitarashi Pond at ⛩️ Shimogamo Shrine, which I visited earlier.
Poets of the Heian period also composed poems about the beauty of this stream.
Fujiwara no Ietaka's poem included in the Hyakunin Isshu, "The evening at the Nara-no-Ogawa river where the wind rustles, the purification is the sign of summer," is about this very place.
Perhaps people from over a thousand years ago also gazed at the same flow of water and cleansed their hearts in the same way.
When I thought about that, I couldn't help but feel a connection that transcends time.
We, in the modern age, can share the coolness that the Heian aristocrats felt.
I think that is a very luxurious experience.
Walking along the stream, the sound of the murmuring water reaches my ears pleasantly.
The winter sunlight filtering through the trees sparkled on the water, and combined with the sound of the wind shaking the trees, it felt as if all five senses were being healed.
The term "power spot" is often used, but standing by the Nara-no-Ogawa River, I felt I understood the meaning a little.
A feeling that something is being set right, just by being there, without doing anything special.
It's hard to put into words, but I certainly felt something like that.
Also, there is a large camphor tree on the grounds that is said to be over 400 years old.
It was a giant tree that made me look up, and its presence was overwhelming.
A tree that has spent many years in this place.
I felt a quiet strength in its vitality.
How many worshippers has this tree watched over, having lived for a time far exceeding a human life?
Visiting Auxiliary and Subordinate Shrines | A Stroll Through the Precincts
Many auxiliary and subordinate shrines are scattered throughout the grounds of ⛩️ Kamigamo Shrine.
Each enshrines a different deity, and it is said that there are various blessings such as matchmaking, academic success, and business prosperity.
According to the experiences of worshippers, it takes about 45 minutes to carefully visit all the shrines.
I decided to visit as many shrines as possible.
Kataoka Shrine is known as a shrine for matchmaking, and it is said that Murasaki Shikibu also visited it.
Thinking that the author of The Tale of Genji offered prayers at this place is quite moving.
It must be a shrine with special meaning for those wishing for love fulfillment.
⛩️ Shingu Shrine is an auxiliary shrine located on the east side of the main hall, and it seems that it can sometimes only be visited during special worship.
As I went deeper and deeper into the grounds, I felt myself being enveloped in an even more serene atmosphere.
As I walked while putting my hands together in front of each shrine, I began to think about things I don't usually think about in my daily life.
What do I value? How do I want to live from now on?
Such questions naturally come to mind.
I think the visit to the auxiliary and subordinate shrines was not just a "time for worship," but also a time to face myself.
In the busyness of daily life, it is difficult to have such time.
That is why the opportunity to quietly talk to myself in the extraordinary space of a shrine may be precious.
After the Visit | The Meaning of the Word 'Turnaround'
The words "good fortune" and "turnaround" are often cited as blessings of ⛩️ Kamigamo Shrine.
In the experiences of worshippers, there are many voices saying, "I received good news after visiting," or "Things that were stagnant started to move."
Of course, these are individual experiences, and it does not necessarily mean that the same thing will happen to everyone.
I myself visited this shrine and rethought the meaning of the word "turnaround."
A turnaround might not be good luck falling from the outside, but something changing within oneself.
Stagnant feelings start to flow.
Things that couldn't be seen become visible.
The courage to take a step that couldn't be taken wells up.
Could the power of the Thunder God be something that encourages such "inner change"?
While walking through the grounds, I was thinking about such things.
On this day, I visited the parent and child shrines in succession, from ⛩️ Shimogamo Shrine to ⛩️ Kamigamo Shrine.
I gained a sense of "being set right" at Shimogamo Shrine, and received the power to "start moving" at ⛩️ Kamigamo Shrine.
I feel there was such a flow.
Straightening my back in front of the Tatesuna, taking a deep breath by the Nara-no-Ogawa River, and facing myself while visiting each auxiliary shrine one by one.
That process itself might already be the beginning of a "turnaround."
Summary
⛩️ Kamigamo Shrine is a World Heritage shrine with one of the oldest histories in Kyoto, known for its diverse blessings such as protection from evil, disaster prevention, good fortune, and victory.
The mystery of the Tatesuna, the purification of the Nara-no-Ogawa River, and the introspection of visiting the auxiliary and subordinate shrines.
Each experience overlapped, making it a place that sets the heart right.
Next time, I will introduce "⛩️ Imamiya Shrine," which I visited fourth on this day.
Thank you for reading until the end.
I hope this article gently pushes your back toward your next trip.
Please have a wonderful day.
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