Kifune Shrine - Okumiya [Rear Shrine] — Attraction in Kyoto

Rear Shrine is the founding place for Kifune Shrine. There is a pile of stone that look like the shape of a boat.

The founding place of Kifune Shrine, it is a sacred place surrounded by forest. According to the enshrining legend, the holy boat that Tamayori-hime rode in is said to have been surrounded by stones to avoid attention. The stones, covered in moss, are even now enshrined at the inner shrine of the rear shrine. Directly below the inner shrine is a large hole called the “ryuuketsu,” dragon’s den, upon which the shrine was built. Since the ryuuketsu is a sacred place that should not be seen by people it is forbidden to be viewed by anyone and is counted amongst Japan’s Three Great...

It's one of my favorite parts of Kyoto. It takes about one hour from Kyoto station. It's much quieter and cooler here. We took a bus from Kokusaikaikan to Eiden Kifuneguchi. Then another bus to Kibune. It's about 5min to Kifune Shirine and 15 min walk to Okumiya. It's a little uphill but it's paved and there are a lot to see to get there. There are a bunch of restaurants or cafes which have seats set over the river. You can take a rest and put your feet in the river just as the monks in old days walk to temples to temples for training. That's how this style of resting...

It's a nice little shrine to stop by while visiting the area, specifically if you're waiting for the flowing noodles experience. It's not crowded at all when we visit on a weekday noon, and includes a beautiful walk up a pathway through a forest. Kifune Shrine is very clean, serene and peaceful, with information boards, saisen, bell and other common decors of a shrine. No goshuin here. I recommend stopping up here it's...