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Kyoto’s Kamigamo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Now Offers Daily English Language Tours of the Shrine and Treasures Exhibition by a Shinto Priest!
Kyoto, Japan … August 4, 2006 … Kamigamo-jinja, the oldest Shinto shrine in Kyoto and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has begun offering daily English language tours conducted by a Shinto priest! This is the only tour of its kind in Kyoto, and according to the shrine administers, “The ‘Special National Treasure Tour for Worship and Exhibition,’ aims to enhance foreign visitors’ understanding of Japanese traditions, as handed down over the generations.”
Admission to the shrine is free and the tour, which is offered once daily, 9:30-10:00 am., costs just 500 yen (less than $5). The priest explains the history, religious significance and architectural structure of the famous Heian-era (794-1192) shrine. His presentation is followed by a Shinto purification ceremony, called O-Harai, where a greeting is made to the kami or deity in the shrine’s inner court. After the program, visitors are welcomed into a special exhibition of precious artifacts that are on display for a limited time in an area of the shrine called the Takakura-den, itself a recognized “Important Cultural Property.” This exhibition is an exclusive opportunity, because normally, these treasures are installed inside the shrine as an offering and are rarely seen.
Kamigamo-jinja’s (Jinja means Shinto shrine.) main shrine or Honden and its Associate Shrine or Gonden are both National Treasures. The shrine is the main staging area for Kyoto’s Aoi Matsuri (Hollyhock Festival) held every May, one of the three biggest festivals in Kyoto, and the original Kyoto Shinto festival!
High resolution images are available. Some samples can be seen at http://www.kamigamojinja.jp. Additional English information can be found at: http://www.kamigamojinja.jp/english/index-e.html
Kamigamo-jinja is 30 minutes from Kyoto Station on the #9 bus (220 yen each way). Nearby attractions include Ota Shrine, famous for its Heian-era Iris Garden abloom in May (http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/topics/eng/2006may/05-10.html) and Shaké Houses, the residence of Shinto priests dedicated to Kamigamo Shrine, with their distinctive Japanese Garden.
For more information on Kamigamo-jinja, the Aoi Matsuri or Kyoto in general, contact the Japan National Tourist Organization at 212-757-5641 x16 via the web at: www.japantravelinfo.com
The Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) is a public-private partnership under the auspices of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, with the mission to promote international travel to Japan and support Japanese travel suppliers.