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About Shimogamo Shrine
The official name is Kamomioya Shrine.
It is located where the Kamo River and Takano River meet.
Located downstream of the Kamo River, the character "kamo" (duck) has been used to describe Kamomioya Shrine since ancient times.
It is also called Shimogamo Shrine.
He was worshipped as the god who developed Kyoto, and after the capital was moved to Heian-kyo, he was deeply revered by the Imperial family and the Imperial Court as a shrine protecting the nation.
Today, it is an ancient Kyoto shrine that retains the spirit of ancient times, with many cultural assets including two main halls that are designated as national treasures, as well as Tadasu no Mori Forest, which retains vegetation from ancient times.
Deity and divine virtues
Its official name is "Kamomioyajinja," so named because it enshrines the ancestral deity of the Kamo clan.
Kyoto was built around the Kamo River, and Shimogamo Shrine is enshrined at the confluence of the Kamo River and Takano River, upstream of the river. Like Kamigamo Shrine, which is located upstream of the Kamo River, Shimogamo Shrine is also called Shimogamo Shrine because it is enshrined downstream.
● Enshrined deity
Kamo Taketsunumi no Mikoto (West Hall)
Tamayorihime no Mikoto (East Hall)
Divine virtue
Kamo Taketsunumi-no-Mikoto is the god who founded ancient Kyoto. He is worshipped as the guardian deity of Kyoto as the Ichinomiya of Yamashiro Province. When Heian-kyo was being built, prayers were first offered to this shrine for success. Since then, it has been designated as a shrine where prayers are offered for the peace of the people. In the "Fudoki" of Yamashiro Province and other sources, it is said that while Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto was performing a misogi (a ritual to purify herself) in the Kamo River, she picked up a crimson-painted arrow that had floated upstream and placed it on her bed. The arrow then transformed into a beautiful male god and they married.
As the myth goes that she gave birth to a child, she has long been worshipped as a deity of marriage and child rearing. This shrine is a guardian deity that prays for peace for the nation and its people and world peace, and is also a deity that protects people's lives, including protection from evil, marriage, fertility, safe childbirth, child rearing, and road safety.
The exact date of the shrine's founding is unknown, but there is a record that the shrine's sacred fence was repaired in the 7th year of Emperor Sujin's reign (90 BC), so it is believed that the shrine has been worshiped since ancient times prior to that.
Recent excavations around Tadasu no Mori have unearthed ancient pottery and remains of Yayoi period dwellings, providing further evidence of the ancient faith.
The Shoku Nihongi contains an article stating that in the second year of the reign of Emperor Mommu (698), an order was issued to provide security for the Aoi Festival because many spectators were gathering at the festival. This also shows that this shrine was a large one and held grand festivals even before the Nara period.
During the Heian period, it was worshipped alongside Kamo Wakeikazuchi Shrine as the guardian deity of the country and the capital, Kyoto, and as the tutelary deity of the Imperial family. The fact that it was recognized as a special shrine that stood out from the rest, such as by establishing systems such as Shikinen Sengu and Saio (the Grand Queen), shows that it flourished as one of the cultural and religious centers of the era, as it often appears in court literature such as "The Tale of Genji" and "The Pillow Book."
Towards the end of the Heian period, over 60 manors and chefs were donated to support the shrines across the country. As the Kamakura and Muromachi periods progressed and the country entered a period of war, contact with the manors gradually fell apart, but instead the faith of the people began to support the shrines.
Many Noh plays (and other folk songs) set at this shrine describe the events of that time.
Prayers were always offered at important national events. Even during the Edo period, the shogunate donated land to the shrine for its operation as a place to pray for the happiness of the nation and its people.
In the early Meiji period, it was made the head of the government-sponsored shrines and the representative of all shrines across the country, and to this day it offers daily prayers for the country and its people.
Founding
About Shikinen Sengu
What is Shikinen Sengu?
Shikinen Sengu is the rebuilding of shrine buildings at set intervals.
In the mid-Heian period, the historical record "Hyakurensho" states that "Kamo Shrine is regularly relocated once every 20 years," and the system of Shikinen Sengu was established with the first one held in 1036. However, although this system was ideal, there were times when it would take 30 or even 50 years due to wars, famines, and disasters.
However, even as times have changed, from the Middle Ages to early modern times, and then to modern times and the present day, the shrine has always been protected without any problems, overcoming national crises.
The current Shikinen Sengu ceremony, which is held once every 21 years, is an institution that reflects this desire to "never cause trouble to the gods."
Shimogamo Shrine's Shikinen Sengu Ceremony
The origins of Kamomioya Shrine date back to ancient times. Ancient ritual remains have been excavated in the Tadasu Forest within the shrine grounds, and remains of a settlement have been excavated within the old grounds. The legend of the enshrined deity can be found in the entry for February of the second year of Emperor Jimmu's reign (658 BC) in the "Nihon Shoki," and there is a legend that the Miwake Shinto ritual, the origin of the current Mikage Festival, began during the reign of Emperor Suizei (around 580 BC).
The first record of the construction of the shrine is in the 7th year of Emperor Sujin's reign (90 BC), when the sacred fence was replaced. Since then, there are records showing that the shrine was replaced many times before the Nara period, and in 677, construction was ordered by the Yamashiro provincial governor, and it is said that from that time on, the plank and thatched roof of the shrine was changed to cypress bark and tiles.
The Kamo Festival (one of Kyoto's three major festivals, commonly known as the Aoi Festival), which began in the 5th year of the reign of Emperor Kinmei (544), was so prosperous that at the time it was synonymous with all festivals.
After the capital was moved to Kyoto in the Heian period (794), it became the Ichinomiya Shrine of Yamashiro Province as the overall guardian of the imperial capital, Kyoto. The system of Kamo-Sain, in which an imperial princess serves the shrine as Kamo-Saio, was established, and the shrine was highly revered by the imperial court and prayed for the safety of the nation and its people. This has not changed since the Meiji period, and it has been placed at the top of all shrines in the country as the top Kanpei Taisha (Great Shrine with Government Support). Due to this history, the shrine buildings and grounds have been designated as national cultural properties, and in 1994, it was registered as a World Heritage Site as a cultural asset of the world. Currently, the two main buildings are national treasures, and the 53 shrine buildings are important cultural properties, both of which are registered as treasures of Japan, so it is not possible to replace everything. The original Shikinen Sengu ceremony involved replacing all buildings and furnishings except for the sacred object, but the current basic policy is to repair damaged parts, and the shrine is moved for repairs every 21 years in the current Shikinen Sengu ceremony.
Why once every 21 years?
The Heian period was the most favorable period for construction. Emperor Tsunemu decided to move the capital to Heian in order to renew the people's spirit. The Kamo Shrines were originally local shrines, but as shrines protecting the royal palace, they came to be visited by not only the people of Yamashiro Province, but also by imperial visits and pilgrimages to the regent Kamo, and as such, the shrines grew in size accordingly. They are now even more magnificent, and always new... Cypress bark, considered the best material for ancient architecture, can last for over 20 years, and plain wood remains beautiful and uncorroded for the same amount of time. They are also suitable for passing on the techniques of sacred treasures and sacred clothing.
What exactly do we do?
First, the roofs will be re-thatched with cypress bark. Re-thatching the 70 roofs will require an enormous amount of cypress bark. Furthermore, since the lifespan of these roofs is 30 to 40 years, this means that re-thatching will continue for all eternity. It is also possible to use copperplate or new materials for the roofs. However, as the best material for traditional architecture, it has been used for shrines and other buildings since ancient times. Other repairs will include repairs to decorative metal fittings on the shrine buildings, damaged areas of lacquer, and areas of peeling paint, such as the lions and lion-dog statues that protect the gods. In addition, the gods' daily belongings and clothing and attire (called sacred clothing and sacred treasures) will also be repaired or partially replaced.
Symbol mark
Tadasu no Mori is the result of an unimaginable accumulation of time. Its graceful, soft, yet dignified atmosphere makes you feel the presence of countless gods and spirits from ancient times. The Kamo River and the stream that flows purely through Tadasu no Mori. Traces of the energy of the many people, including the clan members, who visited this land and met the gods in the Shinyu Garden...
Surrounded by abundant nature, Kamomioya Shrine is a place where you can feel the vitality of life directly and up close. In the idea of "Miare," the power that gives birth to all life and the manifestation of the source of life, which is handed down at Kamomioya Shrine as a unique belief of Kamo Shinto, the deterioration of the shrine buildings signifies impurity.
In creating a symbol mark for the Shikinen Sengu ceremony, a ritual that renews the life force of the gods, we chose the theme of uninterrupted flow of life force, or "life." In the process of visualizing this, we aimed to convey a sense of dignity befitting the Shikinen Sengu ceremony of Kamomioya Shrine, a World Heritage Site, while also expressing the organic, soft sense of life and atmosphere that are characteristic of Kamo Shrine.
The Shikinen Sengu ceremonies revive and revitalize the power of the gods by renewing and purifying the "Mise" shrine, the power that gives birth to all life in the universe.
This catchphrase expresses the idea of "Osei" and the significance of the Shikinen Sengu in simple terms. By using only hiragana, the phrase looks soft and familiar.
About the Shikinen Sengu Celebration Project
Shikinen Sengu Celebration Parade April 27, 2014
Shikinen Sengu Celebration Parade On April 27th, 2014, one year until the 34th Shikinen Sengu, a parade was held to celebrate the "Shikinen Sengu". A total of 500 people, including a horse-drawn carriage, a cavalry unit, citizens holding lanterns, and a Yosakoi dance group from Ryukoku University, paraded down Miyako-ji Street to the tune of the marching band from Kyoto Prefectural Hokuryo High School, announcing that the Shikinen Sengu was just a year away and raising the celebratory mood.
Oshiraishimochi Shinto Ritual
"Oshiraishi" refers to the pure white stones that are paved within the walls of the main shrine building.
It is traditional to lay new stones every time the shrine is relocated. The event in which the stones are laid inside the main shrine, which is a forbidden place, is called the "Oshiraishimochi Shinji." Shimogamo Shrine, which is preparing for the main shrine relocation in April next year, already held the "Ishi-hiki Shinji" in June last year to pick up and carry away 50,000 white stones from the shrine's precincts in order to restore the main shrine, but the "Oshiraishimochi Shinji" is a Shinto ritual to return them to their original state. The purified white stones are wrapped in white cloth from the stone storage area in Tadasu-no-Mori and placed in front of the main shrine, where they will be laid inside the main shrine until the next relocation in 21 years, purifying the sacred area. Many people will take part in this Shinto ritual, and the next one is scheduled for November. Please support this once-in-21-years opportunity.
Oshiraishimochi Shinto Ritual
"Oshiraishi" refers to the pure white stones that are paved within the walls of the main shrine building.
It is traditional to lay new stones every time the shrine is relocated. The ceremony to lay the stones within the main shrine precincts, which are off-limits to the public, is called the "Oshiraishimochi Shinji." In preparation for the Seisengu, Shimogamo Shrine holds a "Stone Picking Shinji" to gather and carry away as many as 50,000 white stones from within the precincts in order to repair the main shrine, and then the "Oshiraishimochi Shinji" returns them to their original place. After purification, the white stones are taken from the stone storage area in Tadasu-no-Mori Forest, where they are piled up, wrapped in white cloth, and placed in front of the main shrine. They will be laid within the main shrine precincts until the next relocation in 21 years, purifying the sacred grounds. Many people have participated in this ritual.
Kamo Taketsunumi no Mikoto is the god who opened up ancient Kyoto. He also transformed into the golden hawk Yatagarasu and led Emperor Jimmu to victory, and was a god who devoted himself to the founding of Japan.
He has long been revered as the guardian deity of Kyoto, as well as the guardian of victory and the beginning of new things, and as a god of guidance.
Tamayorihime is the child of Kamo Taketsunumi. According to the "Fudoki" of Yamashiro Province and other sources, while Tamayorihime was performing a purification ritual in the Kamo River, she picked up a crimson-painted arrow that had floated upstream, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Kamo Wakeikazuchi no Okami.
Since ancient times, she has been worshipped as the guardian deity of women, helping with matchmaking, pregnancy, childbirth, and child rearing.
When Heian-kyo was being built, prayers for success were first offered at this shrine.
Since then, it has been designated as a shrine where prayers for peace for the people are offered.
This shrine is worshipped as a guardian deity that prays for peace for the nation and its people and world peace, and also as a deity that preserves and protects ancient culture.
Wrapping bus operation from April 27, 2014 to April 26, 2015
From April 27, 2014 to April 26, 2015
From April 27, 2014 to April 26, 2015
In order to raise awareness of the 34th Shikinen Sengu Ceremony among the general public and to build momentum for the celebration, a wrapped bus (a city bus with promotional content painted on its body) was operated. A bus announcing the "Shimonen Sengu Ceremony of Shimogamo Shrine" traveled around the city.
Kemari offering and prayers for victory in the World Cup
On May 31st, Hidetoshi Nakata, a former Japanese national team player, visited Shimogamo Shrine in a dignified kemari costume and black hat to pray for the victory of the Japanese national team at the World Cup (soccer) held in Brazil in June. After praying for the victory of the Japanese national team in front of the shrine, he watched the kemari games that were dedicated in front of the south torii gate.
It is unusual for a kemari event to be held at Shimogamo Shrine in May, but Nakata was entrusted with the Shimogamo Shrine altar to be enshrined at "nakata.netCafe 2014," which he will be running in Sao Paulo during the tournament, as well as a kemari ball made from deerskin, 1,000 "kachimaru amulets" (charms) to pray for victory in the World Cup, and a banner with messages of support.
When the chairman of the preservation society handed the ball to Nakata, the young soccer players from the local parishioners who had been invited that day called out, "Hide, kick it!" Nakata replied to the boys with a smile, "I'm just an amateur at kemari..."
The deity of Shimogamo Shrine, Kamo Taketsunumi no Mikoto, is a great god who is known for transforming into the "Yatagarasu" (a bird with three legs) to guide Emperor Jimmu on his eastern expedition. The Yatagarasu is also the symbol of the Japan Football Association. The "Kachimaru Amulet - Prayer for Victory" with the Yatagarasu embroidered on it was distributed to supporters at Nakata Cafe in Sao Paulo, with the hope that each supporter will support the team with their own thoughts.
Kemari offering and prayers for victory in the World Cup
Former Japanese national team player Hidetoshi Nakata, dressed in a kemari costume and black hat, visited Shimogamo Shrine to pray for the victory of the Japanese national team in the World Cup held in Brazil. After praying for the victory of the Japanese national team in front of the shrine, he watched the kemari games that were dedicated in front of the south torii gate.
It is unusual for a kemari event to be held at Shimogamo Shrine in May, but Nakata was entrusted with the Shimogamo Shrine altar to be enshrined at "nakata.net Cafe 2014," which he will be running in São Paulo during the tournament, as well as a kemari ball made from deerskin, 1,000 "kachimaru amulets" (charms) to pray for victory in the World Cup, and a banner with messages of support.
When the chairman of the preservation society handed the ball to Nakata, the young soccer players from the local parishioners who had been invited that day called out, "Hide, kick it!" Nakata replied to the boys with a smile, "We're amateurs at kemari..."
Myths and legends
The Kojiki also states here that Takagi-no-Okami gave the order, "Do not allow the son of the heavenly god to enter any further into the interior of the country. There are many violent gods.
Now, the heavens have bequeathed to us the Yatagarasu. Therefore, the Yatagarasu will lead the way. Once it has stood, we can then set out on our journey."
According to the "Nihon Shoki," the Imperial Tutor had already traveled to Uchitsukuni.
However, the mountains were so steep that there was no way to return. He lived alone and did not know where to go. One day, in a dream, Amaterasu Oomikami, who was giving instructions to the Emperor, said, "I have now left behind the Head Yatagarasu. Please use it as a guide to the country."
Sure enough, an eight-headed crow appeared and flew down from the sky. The Emperor said, "The coming of this crow is an auspicious dream come true. It is so big and brilliant. Perhaps my Imperial Ancestor Amaterasu Omikami wishes to use it to help me accomplish my mission."
Tomo Nobutomo, "Semi Ogawa", Volume 1 Takagi no Okami is another name for Takamimusubi no Kami, the eight-winged crow, or Taketsunomi no Mikoto, (omitted) The Nihon Shoki refers to Amaterasu Omikami, and the Kojiki refers to Takagi no Kami (another name for Takamimusubi no Kami), but these are each versions of the other, and in truth, with the consideration of Amaterasu Omikami and Takamimusubi no Kami, Taketsunomi no Mikoto, the grandson of Kamimusubi no Kami, descended from heaven in advance, (Takamimusubi Sun God and Kamimusubi no Kami are like a pair of gods, seated in a mysterious relationship, and should be considered together. Thus, these two gods are descended from Taketsunomi no Mikoto, and have a long history. As a result, when the Emperor saw them looking down, he learned in a dream that they were serving him (this should also be considered together).
"Ordinary Elementary School Reader" Volume 5 (for second graders) The first in Japan
The Emperor is called Emperor Jimmu. When this Emperor was punishing the bad guys, the path of the Otohorisuji was broken and the tale of the Okomari was told. At that time, a crow called a crow appeared, stood at the front and spoke to the direction of the bow. At another time, a golden kite came from nowhere and stood at the front of the bow. The light was so bright that the bad guys could not open their eyes. They were all drawn to the light and ran away.
The Emperor was so ignorant of all the people in the country that he became emperor. The day falls on February 11th, and we celebrate this day every year.
Legend of Kamo Taketsunomi and the Yatagarasu
The Fudoki of the Shoku Nihongi, Yamashiro Province, Kamo Shrine, is written in the Fudoki of Yamashiro Province: Kamo Shrine. Kamo is called Kamo because the god Kamo Taketsunumi no Mikoto, who descended from heaven to Hyuga no Sonomine, stood before the god Kamu Yamato Iharehiko, descended along the Yamashiro River, and reached the confluence of the Kazuno River and the Kamo River. Looking down at the Kamo River, he said, "Although it is narrow, it is the pure river of Ishikawa." Therefore, it was named Ishikawa no Semi no Ogawa. It rose from that river and settled in the mountain base in the north of Kuga Province. From then on, the place was called Kamo.
Kamo Taketsunumi no Mikoto married Ikakoyahime, a god of Kamino in the province of Tanba, and the child he gave birth to was named Tamayorihiko, and his successor was Tamayorihime.
When Tamayorihime was playing in the river of Ishikawa's Semi, a red-lacquered arrow floated down from upstream. She immediately took it and placed it on the bedside, and eventually became pregnant and gave birth to a boy. When she became a human, her maternal grandfather, Taketsunomi no Mikoto, built an eight-foot-tall hut, tightened the eight doors, brewed eight bellies of sake, gathered the gods, and enjoyed himself for seven days and seven nights. Then, talking to his son, he said, "Let the man you consider your father drink this sake." Soon, he raised his sake cup and offered it to the heavens, thinking that he would make a sacrifice, and he carved out the roof of the hut so that the sake would rise to the heavens. He was named Kamo-wake-ikazuchi-no-mikoto after his maternal grandfather. The so-called Tannuri-ya is the god of fire and thunder who resides in a shrine in the Otokuni district.
The three deities, Kamotaketsunumi no Mikoto, Ikakoyahime of Tanba, and Tamayorihime, are enshrined at the Mitsui Shrine in the village of Tadekura. Tomo Nobutomo, "Semi Ogawa," Volume 2, talks about the red-lacquered sacred arrow, and the red-lacquered arrow, which is said to have given birth to a boy through the feeling of being conceived, is actually an object that has been endowed with a divine spirit as a gift for the marriage of Daisenkui no Mikoto to Tamayorihime. In the Kojiki, Daisenkui no Mikoto, also known as Yamasue no Oonushi no Kami, is the deity who resides on Mount Hie in nearby Tankai, and is also the deity Matsuo Yonarikabura no Mikoto who resides in Kazuno. (The characters "yo" should not be read as digits, the theory is explained below.) It appears that this Narukabura-shinjin is the Narukabura-shinjin of that time, and that it is enshrined at Matsuo as the divine form of Daisenkui-no-kami, which is why it is mentioned here. (However, there is no mention of him marrying Tamayorihime, and it is simply said to be the Narukabura-shinjin, which may be because Arei recited it from time to time.)
The legend of Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto and the crimson-lacquered arrow
