Shimogamo Shrine in Japanese, is the common name of an important Shinto sanctuary in the Shimogamo district of Kyoto city's Sakyō ward. Its formal name is Kamo-mioya-jinja. 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; 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. 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. Shimogamo Shrine is dedicated to the veneration of Tamayori-hime and her father, Kamo Taketsunomi. Tamayori-hime is the mother of Kamo Wakeikazuchi, who was sired by Honoikazuchi-no-mikoto. Kamigamo Shrine, the other of the two Kamo shrines of Kyoto, is dedicated to Kamo Wakeikazuchi. These kami are variously associated with thunder.
History
The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. Shimogamo, along with the Kamigamo Shrine, was designated as one of two chief Shinto shrines for the former Yamashiro Province. In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to Japan's guardian kami, including Kamo-Tamayori-hime and Kamo-Taketsune. The writer of Hōjōki, Kamo no Chōmei, was the second son of one of the head priests of the shrine, Kamo no Nagatsugu. From 1871 through 1946, Shimogamo was officially designated one of the ''Modern system of ranked Shinto Shrines, meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines. Today, it is one of the most visited sites during the new year, and the popular national pastime game of kemari is often played by Shinto priests.
Imperial visits
794 : Emperor Kanmu came as part of a grand progress.
942 : Emperor Suzaku visited to offer thanks for restoration of peace.
A shrine structure was erected in 678 during the reign of the Emperor Tenmu, and this became the principal building during the reign or of the Emperor Kanmu when he removed the capital from Nara to Heian-kyō. Shimogamo Shrine is believed to date to the 6th century. A model of the Hut described in Hōjōki is located in Kawai Jinja section of the shrine.
