Shimogamo Shrine (Japanese: 下鴨神社, Hepburn: Shimogamo-jinja) is an important Shinto sanctuary in the Shimogamo district of Kyoto city's Sakyō ward. Its formal name is Kamo-mioya-jinja (賀茂御祖神社).[1] It is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan and is 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;[2] Shimogamo is the older of the pair, being believed to be 100 years older than Kamigamo, and dating to the 6th century, centuries before Kyoto became the capital of Japan (794, see Heian-kyō). The Kamo-jinja serve the function of protecting Kyoto from malign influences.[3] | ||||||
Affiliation: Shinto | ||||||
Location: 59 Shimogamo Izumigawa-chō, Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture | ||||||
Deity: Tamakushi-hime (玉依姫命)Kamotaketsunumi no Mikoto (賀茂建角身命) | ||||||
Festival: Aoi Matsuri (Kamo no Matsuri; May 15th) | ||||||
Type: ShikinaisyaYamashiro no Kuni ichinomiyaTwenty-Two ShrinesFormer kanpeitaishaChokusaishaBeppyo jinja | ||||||
Date established: 6th century | ||||||