Shimogamo Shrine
Demachiyanagi, Kyoto
- Daily
- 6:30 to 17:00
Hours are for the grounds inside the Romon gate. Kawai Shrine closes at 16:30. Times can change for ceremonies.
Source: shimogamo-jinja.or.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
You reach Shimogamo Shrine through Tadasu no Mori, a 12.4-hectare forest with clear streams that runs from the main halls south to Kawai Shrine. The shrine's two main halls are National Treasures, 53 more buildings are Important Cultural Properties, and it's been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994. The Aoi Matsuri, its festival with Kamigamo Shrine, falls on 15 May every year.
More photos of Shimogamo Shrine
Insider tip
The grounds are free. For ¥1,000 you can also see the Oidono, the hall where offerings to the gods were cooked, and a reconstruction of Kamo no Chomei's hut, 10:00 to 16:00. For 13 days in late July (18 to 30 July in 2026) you can wade knee-deep into the Mitarashi pond with a candle for ¥500. Saruya, the teahouse in the shrine grounds, serves saru-mochi, a rice cake the shrine revived after 140 years, 10:00 to 16:30.
What the guides say about Shimogamo Shrine
12. The shrine forests in the north. Start at the Kamogawa Delta, with its stepping stones shaped like turtles and birds, right outside Demachiyanagi Station. Walk north from its tip into Tadasu no Mori, the 12.4-hectare forest round Shimogamo Shrine, whose grounds open free at 6:30. Kamigamo Shrine opens its grounds at 5:30, also free.
What's on at Shimogamo Shrine
Upcoming events at Shimogamo Shrine, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Mori no Tezukuri-ichi Craft Market at Shimogamo Shrine (October)
森の手づくり市～秋の特別編2026～
Time 10:00 to 16:00 Station Shimogamo-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 205)
Craft stalls selling accessories, woodwork, leather, ceramics, cloth goods and sweets line Shimogamo Shrine's approach and the Tadasu no Mori forest, with food trucks and acoustic sets. It goes ahead in rain unless Kyoto has a storm warning.
Appie Verschoor, CC BY-SA 2.0 Mori no Tezukuri-ichi Craft Market at Shimogamo Shrine (November)
森の手づくり市～秋の特別編2026～
Time 10:00 to 16:00 Station Shimogamo-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 205)
Craft stalls selling accessories, woodwork, leather, ceramics, cloth goods and sweets line Shimogamo Shrine's approach and the Tadasu no Mori forest over two days, with food trucks and acoustic sets. It goes ahead in rain unless Kyoto has a storm warning.
Appie Verschoor, CC BY-SA 2.0 Kemari Hajime at Shimogamo Shrine
蹴鞠はじめ
Station Shimogamo-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 205)
Players keep a ball in the air with their feet at Shimogamo Shrine, the year's first game of kemari, the old court football.
Appie Verschoor, CC BY-SA 2.0 Nagashibina Doll Floating at Shimogamo Shrine
流し雛（下鴨神社）
Time From 10:30, the floating at about 11:00 Station Shimogamo-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 4, 205)
A man and woman dressed as Heian dolls float small dolls on straw mats down the Mitarashi stream to carry away bad luck, and afterwards you can float one yourself (the mats are sold).
Appie Verschoor, CC BY-SA 2.0 Yabusame Horseback Archery at Shimogamo Shrine
流鏑馬神事（下鴨神社）
Time 13:00 to 15:30 Station Demachiyanagi (Keihan, Eizan Railway), about 10 min walk
Archers in court dress gallop down a 400 m track through the Tadasu no Mori forest and shoot at three wooden targets, a purification before the Aoi Matsuri.
Appie Verschoor, CC BY-SA 2.0 Nearby
Around Demachiyanagi
Stepping stones, a shrine forest and the trains to Kurama
Demachiyanagi is where the Kamo and Takano rivers meet, and where the Keihan line from Osaka ends. Come up out of the station and the Kamogawa Delta is right there, with stepping stones shaped like turtles and birds. Walk north from its tip and you're in Tadasu no Mori, the forest round Shimogamo Shrine. Eizan trains for Kurama and the foot of Mt Hiei leave from the platforms above ground.
Demachiyanagi has 15 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 5 shrines and temples, 2 landmarks, 2 parks and gardens, 2 cafes, 1 shop, 1 neighbourhood, 1 restaurant and 1 bathhouse. Read the Demachiyanagi guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Shimogamo Shrine?
- 59 Shimogamo Izumikawa-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市左京区下鴨泉川町59).
- What are the opening hours of Shimogamo Shrine?
- Daily 6:30 to 17:00. Hours are for the grounds inside the Romon gate. Kawai Shrine closes at 16:30. Times can change for ceremonies.
- How do I get to Shimogamo Shrine?
- The nearest station is Demachiyanagi (Keihan, Eizan). Shimogamo Shrine is in Demachiyanagi, Kyoto.
- How much does Shimogamo Shrine cost?
- Nothing. Shimogamo Shrine is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Shimogamo Shrine?
- Plan for 1 hour.
- When is the best time to visit Shimogamo Shrine?
- Early morning.
Stay near Shimogamo Shrine
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