Kamigamo Shrine is an important Shinto sanctuary on the banks of the Kamo River in north Kyoto, first founded in 678. Its formal name is the Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine. 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. The Kamo-jinja serve the function of protecting Kyoto from malign influences. 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. Kamogamo Shrine is dedicated to the veneration of Kamo Wake-ikazuchi, the kami of thunder.
History
The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. Records from the reign of Emperor Heizeimention that Kamo-mioya jinja was amongst a select number of establishments which had been granted a divine seal for use on documents. The seal would have been enshrined in its own unique mikoshi. This granting of a special seal and the practices associated with its use and preservation conformed to a pattern established by Emperor Kōnin in 778. In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to Japan's guardian kami, including Kamo Wake-ikazuchi. Kamigamo, along with the Shimogamo Shrine, was designated as one of two chief Shinto shrines for the former Yamashiro province. From 1871 through 1946, Kamigamo was officially designated one of the ''Modern system of ranked Shinto Shrines, meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines.
Imperial visits
794 : Emperor Kanmu came as part of a grand progress.
942 : Emperor Suzaku visited to offer thanks for restoration of peace.
1711 : Emperor Nakamikado took refuge in the Hosodono when the palace had become uninhabitable.
Structures
The jinja is famous for its haiden, rebuilt in 1628-1629. A number of priests' residences are situated on its grounds, and one, the Nishimura House, is open to the public.
