Kifune Shrine and Kurama Temple: A Day in Kyoto's Northern Mountains

North of central Kyoto, the city gives way to cedar forest and two narrow valleys. In one is Kifune Shrine, the head shrine of Japan's gods of water, reached by a stairway of red lanterns. In the other is Kurama Temple, a mountain temple where a boy who became one of Japan's most famous samurai is said to have learned swordsmanship from the tengu. A forest path links the two over the mountain. This guide explains what makes each one special, how to do the hike, opening hours and fees for 2026, and the best time to go.

Kifune Shrine: the source of the water

Kifune is the head of about 2,000 shrines to the god of water across Japan. No one knows when it was founded, but the shrine's records mention a rebuilding in 677, so it was already old by then. Its god, Takaokami, is a dragon who controls rain, and who sends water up from the ground a little at a time. In the old myths, this god of water was born from the blood of the god of fire.

Emperors took this seriously. When there was a drought, the court sent the shrine a black horse to pray for rain. When the rain wouldn't stop, it sent a white or red one.

A visit here is called sansha-mairi, a pilgrimage to three shrines along the valley:

The main shrine (Hongu)

This is where the lantern stairway leads, the view you'll see in most photos of Kifune. At the top, spring water from Mt. Kibune pours from the stone wall in front of the hall. It's also where you try the water fortune (mizuura mikuji): lay the paper on the spring water, and your fortune appears. The shrine moved here in 1055 after a flood washed away the original site, and the present buildings were rebuilt in recent decades.

Yui-no-yashiro, the shrine of love

The middle shrine has a sad story behind it. The goddess Iwanaga-hime was rejected by a suitor who only wanted her younger sister, and she stayed here to bring good matches to others. In the Heian period, the poet Izumi Shikibu came to pray over her husband's wandering heart, and the shrine says her wish came true. It has been known for matchmaking ever since.

The inner shrine (Okumiya)

Further up the valley, among tall trees, is the place where it all began. In one legend, the goddess Tamayori-hime sailed from what is now Osaka Bay, up the Yodo, Kamo and Kifune rivers, in a yellow boat, and built a shrine where she found a spring. The boat is said to lie hidden under a mossy mound of stones beside the hall. Under the hall itself is a "dragon hole", which no one is allowed to see. A goddess of the same name is honoured at Shimogamo Shrine, further down the same river.

Eating over the river

The road to the shrine runs beside the Kifune River, lined with inns and restaurants. In summer, they build dining platforms over the water, called kawadoko. It's a famous way to escape the heat of the city, so book ahead.

Kurama Temple: the mountain of the tengu

Kurama Temple began in 770, according to its own history, when the monk Gantei followed a dream and a white horse up the mountain. He was attacked by a demon woman, saved by the guardian Bishamonten, and built a hut to honour him. In 796, soon after Kyoto became the capital, a court official named Fujiwara no Isendo built a proper temple here.

It became a favourite retreat for the Heian court. Sei Shonagon listed its winding path in The Pillow Book as one of the things that are near yet far away. The temple also identifies itself with the unnamed temple in the northern hills where Prince Genji first sees young Murasaki in The Tale of Genji.

The boy and the tengu

The story most people know is that of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, then called Ushiwakamaru. He came to the temple at about 7 and left at about 16. By day he studied as a novice. By night, legend says, he slipped up to the valley of Sojogatani, where the long-nosed tengu taught him the arts of war. He went on to win the wars that destroyed the Taira clan, before his own brother hunted him down. His spirit is said to have come home to this mountain, and he is honoured here at Yoshitsune Hall.

What to see on the way up

• The Niomon gate: rebuilt in 1911, but its left door dates from the 1180s.
• The cable car: two minutes to the upper station, and the temple says it's the only licensed railway in Japan run by a religious body. The ¥200 is treated as a donation rather than a fare.
• Yuki Shrine: moved here in 940 to guard the north of the city. Villagers lit its way with torches, which is said to be the origin of the Kurama Fire Festival. Its hall, rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyori, is an Important Cultural Property, and it sits on the walking path, so you'll miss it if you take the cable car.
• The winding path: the climb Sei Shonagon wrote about, called tsuzura-ori, still bare earth in places.

The main hall

At the top, the mountains open out in front of the main hall. Tigers stand guard instead of the usual lion-dogs, because Bishamonten is said to have appeared in the month, day and hour of the tiger. In front of the hall is the Kongo-sho, a paved star mandala that people stand on to connect with the energy of the universe. Kurama has its own faith, founded in 1947, which honours a single force called Sonten, in the three forms of love, light and power. Its main image is hidden, and it's shown only once every 60 years.

The Reihoden museum

A short walk beyond the main hall, the temple's museum holds the National Treasure statues of Bishamonten and his attendants, along with displays on the mountain's nature and on the poet Yosano Akiko, whose study was moved here. It's worth the ¥200, but check that it's open: it closes on Tuesdays and through the winter.

The hike over the mountain

The walk between the two is what makes this a day to remember. The temple calls this its route for strong walkers:

The stretch beyond the main hall is the part to look forward to:

• Yoshitsune's stones and spring: a spring where he is said to have stopped for a drink on the way to his night lessons, and the stone he is said to have measured himself against before leaving for good.
• Kinone-michi, the path of roots: the rock here is so hard that the trees can't grow down, so their roots spread over the ground in a tangled web. It's said that the young Yoshitsune trained here too.
• Maoden: a small hall deep in the forest, on rocks that have been worshipped since ancient times as the place where the great spirit Mao-son came down to earth.

After Maoden, the path drops to the temple's west gate, with the road through Kibune just beyond. A few things to plan for:

• Shoes: the temple keeps its paths as natural earth and leaves fallen trees where they lie, so this isn't a stroll. Roots and stairs get slippery in the rain.
• Timing: leave Kurama with plenty of daylight. In winter, ask about snow before you commit.
• If you don't want to hike: take the train between the two instead. Kifune is one stop back from Kurama on the Eizan line, at Kibuneguchi.

Opening hours and fees

Kifune Shrine

Hours can change for ceremonies: on two days in October 2026, for example, the main shrine closed at 5 pm. You can reach the shrine on 075-741-2016.

Kurama Temple

The last cable car up leaves at 4:20 pm, but by then the main hall is closed, so aim to be up much earlier. You can reach the temple on 075-741-2003.

When to go

The Maple Tunnel. On the way there, the Eizan Railway passes through about 250 metres of maples between Ichihara and Ninose stations. You can only see it from the train. From November 7 to December 6, 2026, trains slow down through it, and it's lit up after dark.

The Kurama Fire Festival is one of Kyoto's most dramatic nights. Fires are lit around 6 pm, and by about 8 pm, giant burning torches fill the steps below the temple gate. The village is small, so expect long waits, and check your way home before you go.

One more thing the two have in common: both claim the Japanese bean-throwing tradition of Setsubun. Kifune points to an old tale that places its origin there, while Kurama says Kyoto's custom comes from its own February ritual.

Getting there

• To Kurama by train: take the Keihan Line to its last stop, Demachiyanagi, then the Eizan Railway to its last stop, Kurama, about 30 minutes. The temple gate is 3 minutes on foot.
• To Kurama by subway and bus: take the Karasuma Line to Kokusaikaikan, then a Kyoto Bus for Kurama Onsen to the Kurama stop, about 25 minutes.
• To Kifune: take the Eizan Railway to Kibuneguchi, then Kyoto Bus 33 to Kibune, and walk about 5 minutes. You can also walk from the station, which is about 2 km or 30 minutes.
• From Kyoto Station: JR Nara Line to Tofukuji, then the Keihan Line to Demachiyanagi. City bus 4 also goes to Demachiyanagi, in about 30 minutes.
• By car: about 40 minutes from Kyoto Station. Kifune has very few parking spaces (¥1,000 for 2 hours), and Kurama Temple has none of its own. Public transport is much easier.

See Kyoto with a private guide

This is a long day with a train, a bus, a steep path and a thousand years of legend. A private guide makes it simple. They can handle the connections, change the plan if the weather turns or you'd rather take it slowly, and tell you who Yoshitsune was while you're standing on the roots where he's said to have trained. On a private tour, it's just you and your own group, never strangers, so you can go at your own speed.

The emperors who sent those horses to Kifune lived in the capital below, and our private Nijo Castle and Imperial Palace tour takes you through the shogun's castle and the emperors' palace with your own English-speaking guide.

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See dates

We don't run a set tour to Kifune and Kurama, but we can look at arranging a private day there on request. Get in touch with your dates and what you'd like to see, and we'll let you know what we can do.

Sources

• Kifune Shrine: About the shrine (Japanese)
• Kifune Shrine: Visiting (Japanese)
• Kifune Shrine: News and 2026 light-up (Japanese)
• Kifune Shrine: Festivals (Japanese)
• Kifune Shrine: Access (Japanese)
• Kurama Temple: History (Japanese)
• Kurama Temple: Guide to the mountain (Japanese)
• Kurama Temple: Visiting and fees (Japanese)
• Kurama Temple: Access and walking routes (Japanese)
• Kurama Temple: Annual events (Japanese)
• Kurama Temple: Notices and cable car closures (Japanese)
• Eizan Railway: The Maple Tunnel (Japanese)
• Walkerplus: Kifune Shrine hours (Japanese)
• Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun: The 2026 Kurama Fire Festival (Japanese)

Frequently asked questions