Shimogamo Used Book Festival

下鴨納涼古本まつり

The Shimogamo Used Book Festival is one the Big Three vintage book festivals in Kyoto. It takes place this year from August 11 - 16.

The books - as many as 800,000 in some years - are overwhelmingly in Japanese.

Even for those who do not read Japanese, however, there is much to find and perhaps purchase.

Many of the books are visual - art, manga, etc. - or just evoke a bygone era that needs no translation.

The festival takes place in the Tadasu-no-mori forest, which is a short walk from Demachiyanagi Station.

For cyclists, there are many places to park.

Information

Summer Book Festival (August 11 - 16)
Shimogamo Noryo Furuhon Matsuri (下鴨納涼古本まつり)
10:00 - 17:30 (until 16:00 on the last day)
Access: Kyoto City Bus #205, get off at Shimogamo-jinja-mae
Tel: 075 231 2971

Spring Book Festival (May 1 - 5)
Haru-no-Kosho Daisokubai-kai (春の古書大即売会)
Miyako Messe (Kyoto International Exhibition Hall)

Autumn Book Festival (October 30 - November 3)
Aki-no-Furuhon Matsuri (秋の古本まつり)
Chinon-ji Temple
10 am to 5 pm

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Kyoto Shimogamo Shrine To Undergo Renovations

宵に浮かぶ仮遷宮　下鴨神社、２１年ぶり大改修へ

Kyoto's Shimogamo Shrine is set to undergo renovations.

On March 20, work began on what is a once in twenty-one year transfer of the shrine deity.

Work on the Main Hall will not start until May.

To prepare for this, ancient rites were held at the shrine.

This is the 34th such transfer. and in the spring of 2015 the deity will return.

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Window Decoration Near Shimogamo Shrine Kyoto

下鴨神社近くの窓飾り

Close to the south entrance of Shimogamo Shrine is a block of opulent homes that back onto the Takano River just before it flows into the Kamo River.

Within one of them was a window that had been filled with a table, screen, and vase in which there was a bright red floral decoration.

Several of the houses in the neighborhood has similar, purpose-built windows that faced the street. These are common in older homes in central Kyoto, in which there are flowers or byobu screens or something decorative for the benefit of those walking by.

On a cold gray day, the lighting and red were a welcome sight.

The torii gates below announce that you are entering sacred ground, the shrine itself.

For those interested in cycling there, from the Eiden Demachiyanagi train station, ride west across the bridge. At the first street on the right, turn right (north).

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