Ujigami Shrine

Ujigami Shrine, located in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, is one of the oldest existing Shinto shrine structures in Japan. Facing its counterpart, Uji Shrine, across the Uji River, the two were once collectively known as Uji Rikyū Myōjin (“The Uji Imperial Shrine”). The shrine enshrines Emperor Ōjin, his son Prince Uji no Wakiiratsuko, and Emperor Nintoku, symbolizing the lineage and filial devotion across three generations. Due to its exceptional preservation and historical significance, it was inscribed in 1994 as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.”

According to legend, the site was originally the detached palace of Prince Uji no Wakiiratsuko, mentioned in the Yamashiro Fudoki as “Kiriwara no Hiketa-no-Miya.” The Engishiki Jinmyōchō (Register of Deities) lists Ujigami and Uji Shrines as twin sanctuaries (Uji Jinja Niza), representing one of the most significant shrines of Yamashiro Province. Ujigami was referred to as the Upper Shrine (Hon-gū), while Uji Shrine was the Lower Shrine (Waka-gū), together forming a unified worship system rooted in ancestral veneration.

The Main Hall (Honden), designated a National Treasure, dates back to the late Heian period (around 1060 CE) and is confirmed by dendrochronology to be the oldest shrine building in Japan. It features a nagare-zukuri style with a cypress-bark roof, comprising five bays across the front and three in depth. Inside are three sanctuaries, each dedicated to one of the three deities. The interlinked roof structures symbolize the union of father and sons. The painted doors depict Heian-period figures in Tang-style attire, among the oldest examples of Shinto-Buddhist syncretic art.

The Worship Hall (Haiden), also a National Treasure, dates from the early Kamakura period and is an exceptional example of shinden-zukuri style adapted for shrine architecture. With its simple yet elegant design—cypress-bark roofing, plank flooring, and sliding lattice shutters—it reflects the refined aesthetic of aristocratic residences and the harmonious fusion of daily life and faith.

Historically, Ujigami Shrine served as the guardian shrine of Byōdō-in Temple, exemplifying the coexistence of Shinto and Buddhism before the shinbutsu bunri separation in the Meiji era. Modern research by the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (2004) reaffirmed its status as the oldest surviving shrine structure in Japan.

Nestled between wooded hills and the Uji River, Ujigami Shrine offers a serene atmosphere that changes with the seasons—cherry blossoms in spring, green foliage in summer, red maples in autumn, and snow in winter. Facing the Byōdō-in across the river, it forms one of Japan’s most poetic landscapes, blending nature, architecture, and history.