Shimogamo Shrine @ Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
Shimogamo Shrine @ Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
A friend told me to check this place out, so I dropped by in the middle of my trip.
It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so the name is well-known — but funny enough, it doesn’t get as packed as the other big spots. Feels like a hidden gem in Kyoto.
A friend told me they’d been here recently for the Mitarashi Festival — a summer ritual where you wade into the sacred Mitarashi Pond, holding a candle while the cold spring water washes over your feet. It’s meant to cleanse away bad spirits and pray for good health.
Fun fact: Shimogamo Shrine is said to be the birthplace of the famous mitarashi dango (those sweet rice dumplings with the shiny soy glaze). Pretty cool connection between tradition and snacks!
Funny enough, it was the same day as the Shimogamo Summer Used Book Festival!
Lots of second-hand bookstores from Kyoto were there, and apparently, they had around 800,000 books up for grabs.
You could find all sorts of used books lined up on both sides—novels, picture books, academic texts, and art books.
There were even specialty magazines on trains, music, and photography.
And if you’re into retro stuff, they had movie pamphlets from sci-fi and action films from the ’70s to ’90s too!
The selection was so quirky and niche that you could easily spend a whole day here just browsing.
Shall we grab some tea?
I was just planning on a cold drink, but everyone seemed to be ordering that special thing, so I went for it too…
Beep beep beep!
Wait time: about 10 minutes.
Uji Matcha Shaved Ice
Just pour on the matcha syrup and sweet red beans, and you’re good to go!
You can adjust it just the way you like, so it’s perfect right till the last bite.
Tamba Dainagon Red Bean Paste
They continue the tradition of using ice that has been stored over the summer in ice houses called Himuro. The ice they use is extremely pure, dense, and hard.
Since it’s natural ice, not artificially made, it melts smoothly in your mouth and has a wonderfully soft texture.
Honestly, this shaved ice was way more delicious than I imagined!
It seems to be available until the end of September.
Hours: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
https://tabelog.com/en/kyoto/A2601/A260302/26018649
It really brought my body temperature down and helped me cool off.
Heading over to the main shrine.
Apparently, you can pray according to your zodiac sign.
I think this is the first time I’ve seen something like that!
The Mitarashi Festival I mentioned earlier lets you step barefoot into the Mitarashi Pond on the shrine grounds for a purification ritual.
Since they use fresh spring water, it’s wonderfully cool and refreshing on a hot day.
Besides the used book festival, it seems they hold all sorts of events throughout the year, like the Forest Handmade Market (craft fair).
It felt like a place you could enjoy not just the shrine, but also events, kind of like Meiji Shrine in Yoyogi.
All in all, it was a wonderful little trip.
Shimogamo Shrine
59 Shimogamo Izumigawa-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan