Craft market at Kamigamo Shrine

Main entrance to Kamigamo Shrine – over 1,300 years young and counting

Banner for monthly market

Whether you are in Kyoto short-term or long, your time here is likely to include at least some shrine and temple viewing. Kyoto is traditionally known as the city of a thousand temples, but the number is probably much higher, with 1,600 being the most often quoted figure. There are also apparently around 400 Shinto shrines, not counting the various neighborhood altars and other sacred spots. Definitive figures are hard to come by but either way, Kyoto is abundantly blessed with religious places.

If you are visiting for the first time, it is easy to think of these temples and shrines as being frozen in amber, with all the Photoshop-perfect images of time-burnished iron bells and serene, moss-covered gardens. And it is true, many are lush oases of calm in a busy city, even including tourist spots like Kinkakuji or Kiyomizu-dera if you go during the week… though you might be better to seek out places like Honen-in.

Once you are done admiring all the rich aesthetic beauty, also try to check out these places in a more interactive mode. While there are some that only really come to life for the major celebrations – basically to partake of the joyous, tax-free rattle of coin in collection boxes – even the most venerable usually perform some kind of community function, hosting exhibitions, performances, festivals, monthly markets, etc.

The stream is a great place to kick back after shopping.

The stalls are spread out around the shrine grounds.

Catching the festivals and other events can be hit or miss unless you live here, but if you want a chance to see a temple in live action, consider visiting one of the many monthly markets. The most well-known is probably the huge Kobo-san market, held at Toji Temple on the 21st of each month and selling pretty much everything you can imagine. But if you are less inclined toward the crowds, the craft markets might be more your thing, particularly the one at Kamigamo Shrine.

Kamigamo Jinja (上賀茂神社) has a bit of history behind it, being originally founded in 678, and most of the time it is content to rest on its laurels as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, hosting the occasional ancient festival. With its spacious grounds and beautifully preserved buildings, it is actually well worth a visit anytime, but if you are there on the fourth Sunday of the month, you can also catch the craft/food market.

The market itself is really pleasant, offering a wide selection of handmade jewelry, clothes, ornaments and so on plus some interesting foods and beverages. (Last time through, I bought some incredible plum juice, which mostly ended up in these two fine smoothies: Koume and Hatsuaki.) The sellers are usually fairly relaxed so you can browse the wares with minimal sales pressure. The stalls are likewise spread over a wide area in several sections, preventing the bottlenecks that occur at some other markets.

The other great thing about the Kamigamo market is that if the weather is warm, you can kick off your shoes and soak your feet in the surprisingly cool stream that runs through the shrine. The whole area is shaded by tall trees so the temperature is significantly lower than elsewhere. I’ll skip the talk about the grounding effects and negative ions generated by moving water and green spaces but grab some snacks, sit yourself here for 15 minutes and notice how good you feel.

Details
Web: Kamigamo Shrine English site, English map and Japanese map
Access: It is possible to reach Kamigamo by bus, but at least going there, it may be better to take the subway to Kitaoji Station and then take a taxi from the north exit for about 10 minutes. There is actually a bus stop right in front of the shrine, and this may be more convenient for returning.
Other images and info: Kyoto after dark on Facebook (link only but must be logged into Fb.)