Hiking from Kifune Shrine to Kurama Temple (kyoto)

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Hiking from Kifune Shrine to Kurama Temple

Kifune Shrine and Kurama-dera Temple are located in the northern part of Kyoto, and both are popular. This shrine and temple are located about a 60-minute walk along the hiking trail. (Google Maps showed 40 minutes, but I think it will take a little longer.)

You can walk the route starting from either the Kifune Shrine side or the Kurama-dera Temple side. However, since the uphill section is short, it is easier to walk if you start from the Kibune Shrine side.

If you head out from central Kyoto, it takes a full day, including travel, temple visits, and hiking.

Start at Kifune Shrine

Kifune Shrine is a sacred site where pure water has welled up since ancient times. It is also said to bring good fortune in matters of love and relationships.

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Kifune shrine (Kyoto) : Access , entrance fee , highlights Kifune Shrine is dedicated to the deity of water. The exact date of its founding is unknown, but it is said to have originated from a shrine built around 1600 years ago on a site where clear spring water gushed forth. Water still springs from the grounds of the shrine, and you can drink it for free.

There is a bridge crossing the Kibune River right nearby. You can enter the hiking trail leading to Kurama-dera Temple from here. The mountain entry fee is 500 yen.

The path to the Okunoin (Inner) hall of Kurama-dera Temple

At first, there is a steep mountain trail that continues for about 20 minutes.

And at the top of the climb lies the Okunoin (Inner) hall.

This is the site where Mao-son (the principal deity of Kurama-dera Temple) descended to earth, and it is said to be the temple’s most sacred spot.

Hiking trail

Beyond Okunoin, the path features gentle undulations.

This area is said to be where Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a 12th-century warrior, learned the art of war from a tengu (a long-nosed mountain spirit) during his childhood. He won many battles using unconventional tactics, but is known as a tragic hero who was ultimately killed by his brother.

The photo below shows the shrine where his soul is enshrined.

There is also a space for meditation along the way. This is a place where you can sit on a log bench, listen to the sound of the wind and the birdsong, and quietly reflect on your own heart.

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Kurama-dera temple (Kyoto) Three ways of praying Kurama-dera Temple is located in the mountain north of Kyoto. Kurama-dera Temple has three special places for praying to deities and Buddhas. It’s the plaza in front of the main hall, the temple bell that anyone can ring, and the meditation area in the mountains.

As you proceed further, the bedrock becomes hard, creating a unique landscape where tree roots are exposed above ground.

There is a long downhill stretch in the second half.

After finishing the descent, you arrive at the Reihoden (Treasure Hall) of Kurama-dera Temple.

Note that if you are heading from Kurama-dera Temple to Kifune Shrine, this serves as the entrance to the mountain trail.

Kurama-dera is the head temple of the Kurama-kokyo sect, which unifies various teachings – including Buddhism, ancient Shinto, Onmyodo (Japanese esoteric cosmology) , and Shugendo (mountain asceticism) – that have influenced the temple.

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Kurama-dera temple (Kyoto) : Highlights and Access This temple is located on Mount Kurama, which has been revered as a sacred mountain since ancient times, and is the head temple of the Kurama Kokyo sect. There is a legend that Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a 12th-century warlord, learned military strategy from a tengu (a mountain spirit with a long nose) when he was a child.