Shimogamo Shrine - Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Shimogamo Shrine - Credit: Wikimedia Commons
is an important Shinto sanctuary in the Shimogamo district of Kyoto city's Sakyō ward. Its formal name is .Richard, Ponsonby-Fane. (1964) Visiting Famous Shrines in Japan, pp. 1-118. 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;Terry, Philip. (1914). Terry's Japanese empire, p. 479. 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.Miyazaki, Makoto. "Lens on Japan: Defending Heiankyo from Demons," Daily Yomiuri. December 20, 2005. Read more on Wikipedia
Source: en.wikipedia.org