ABOUT
About this spot
Ujigami Shrine stands in Ujiyamada, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture. It is a shrine listed in the Engishiki and was formerly also called Rikyu Myojin. It forms a pair with the neighboring Uji Shrine and is one of the component sites of the World Heritage property Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. It is a ten-minute walk from Uji Station on the Keihan Uji Line. The three halls of the main building enshrine Uji no Wakiiratsuko in the left hall, Emperor Ojin in the center and Emperor Nintoku in the right. The founding date is unknown, but the site is said to be where Uji no Wakiiratsuko had his detached palace. After the nearby Byodo-in was built in 1052, the shrine is said to have served as its guardian shrine, and it was separated from Uji Shrine in the Meiji era. The main hall and the worship hall are both National Treasures. The main hall dates from the late Heian period and contains three small inner shrines side by side. Dendrochronology in 2004 dated it to around 1060, supporting its status as the oldest surviving shrine architecture. The early Kamakura period worship hall is said to preserve residential shinden-zukuri features. The Kasuga Shrine on the grounds is an Important Cultural Property. Kashii, Takemoto Inari and Itsukushima shrines on the grounds are Kyoto Prefecture Tangible Cultural Properties. Entry to the grounds is free, from 9:00 to 16:20. Kirihara-sui, a spring on the grounds, is said to be the only one of the seven famous waters of Uji that still exists. Allow 30 to 60 minutes; Byodo-in is close by.
Last updated October 22, 2026