Shimogamo Shrine

Shimogamo predates the founding of Kyoto in 794 - the site was in use before the capital was laid out here, and the shrine has been maintained by the Kamo clan since. It is part of the UNESCO inscription covering historic Kyoto. The approach is what distinguishes it: Tadasu no Mori, about twelve hectares of broadleaf forest at the confluence of the Kamo and Takano rivers, which has never been cleared or replanted and holds trees of several hundred years standing in a city that has burned repeatedly. Walking in from the south under that canopy is the experience. The shrine buildings are vermilion, rebuilt periodically to the same design under a system of ritual renewal. The Aoi Matsuri in May, one of Kyoto's three great festivals, processes from the imperial palace to here and on to Kamigamo in Heian-period costume.

What you actually see

• Tadasu no Mori - twelve hectares of never-cleared broadleaf forest as the approach.
• A pre-capital site - in use before Kyoto was founded in 794.
• Vermilion halls - rebuilt to the same design under a system of ritual renewal.
• Aoi Matsuri - a May procession in Heian costume from the palace to the shrine.

When to go

Mid-May for the Aoi Matsuri; all year for the forest. Two hours.

Honest expectations

The buildings are periodically renewed, so the timber is not ancient even though the site is. Festival days bring very large crowds along the route. Some inner areas require a fee or are closed. The forest paths are muddy after rain.

Nearby

Kamigamo Shrine is north; Demachiyanagi and the Kamo delta are south.