It is believed that the original location of Kamigamo Shrine was at the foot of Koyama (the characters read "kami" and "mountain"), some two and a half kilometers north of the present-day shrine. This relationship between shrine and mountain is emblematic of archaic Shinto, with Miwa Shrine a present-day example of the mountain serving as its innermost sanctuary.
The priests at Kamigamo say that the mountain is the "holy-of-holies" since it is here that the kami first alight when summoned in a ritual. The top of the mountain is considered off-limits to anyone associated with the shrine. In early May, a secretive, nighttime ritual called "miare-sai" is held near the base of the mountain to call down the kami for the upcoming "aoi" or Hollyhock festival.
The hanging sign points to the place where cars can be ritually purified.
All photos and text © Copyright John K. Nelson, 1999