Kamigoryo Shrine
Imperial Palace, Kyoto
Source: ja.kyoto.travel, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Kamigoryo Shrine traces its start to 794, when rites were held for the spirit of Emperor Sudo, and seven more spirits were added later. The wood in its grounds, the Goryo no Mori, is where the Onin War broke out.
Insider tip
On 18 May the festival procession brings out hoko floats, mikoshi and an ox-drawn court carriage. It's a few minutes from Kuramaguchi Station, and Shokoku-ji is a short walk south.
What's on at Kamigoryo Shrine
Upcoming events at Kamigoryo Shrine and within a ten-minute walk, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Goryo Matsuri at Kamigoryo Shrine
御霊祭 還幸祭（上御霊神社）
Time Rite 11:30, procession from 13:00 Station Kuramaguchi (Karasuma Line)
Three mikoshi, an ox-drawn imperial cart and halberd floats tour the parish, and since 2009 the procession passes through the Imperial Palace park again. It's said to keep the oldest form of a goryo-e festival.
Naokijp, CC BY-SA 4.0 Maruyama Okyo and Ito Jakuchu
「円山応挙と伊藤若冲」
Time 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) Station Imadegawa (Karasuma Line), exit 3, 8 min walk
Okyo's Peony and Peacock (first half of the autumn period) and his Great Waterfall, over 3.6 m tall (second half), hang alongside all 50 of Jakuchu's ink panels from the great study room of Kinkaku-ji, where he shows what he could do without colour. It's closed for New Year from 27 Dec to 8 Jan.
663highland, CC BY 2.5 Shokoku-ji Spring Special Opening
春の特別拝観（相国寺）
Time 10:00 to 16:30 (last entry 16:00) Station Imadegawa (Karasuma Line), 8 min walk
The Hatto hall opens with Kano Mitsunobu's crying dragon painted on its ceiling, along with the abbot's quarters and the founder's hall.
663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0 Shokoku-ji Autumn Special Opening
相国寺 秋の特別拝観
Time 10:00 to 16:00 Station Imadegawa (Karasuma Line)
Shokoku-ji opens its Hatto, the oldest surviving Dharma hall in Japan, along with the abbot's quarters and the founder's hall. Look up at the 'crying dragon' Kano Mitsunobu painted on the Hatto ceiling. It's closed for services from 18 to 21 Oct.
663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0 Nearby
Around Imperial Palace
Free palace walks, a park that never shuts, and the court's old shops
Kyoto Gyoen, a park 1.3 km long in central Kyoto, never closes. The Kyoto Imperial Palace sits inside it, and you can walk round it for free without booking. Around the edges you'll find Shokoku-ji (head of the Zen branch that takes in Kinkaku-ji), the house site where The Tale of Genji was written, and shops that once supplied the court.
Imperial Palace has 23 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 6 shrines and temples, 5 landmarks, 3 museums, 2 cafes, 2 restaurants, 2 shops, 2 parks and gardens and 1 bar. Read the Imperial Palace guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Kamigoryo Shrine?
- Kamigoryomae-dori Karasuma Higashi-iru, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市上京区上御霊前通烏丸東入).
- How do I get to Kamigoryo Shrine?
- The nearest station is Kuramaguchi (Karasuma Line). Kamigoryo Shrine is in Imperial Palace, Kyoto.
- How much does Kamigoryo Shrine cost?
- Nothing. Kamigoryo Shrine is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Kamigoryo Shrine?
- Plan for 20 min.
- When is the best time to visit Kamigoryo Shrine?
- 18 May, for the festival.
Stay near Kamigoryo Shrine
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