Kifune Shrine — Attraction in Kyoto

Kyoto Kifune Shrine is located on the north of Kyoto. Kifune is on the west and Kuramadera temple is on the east. Take the bus 33 from Kibuneguchi station to the last stop to reach here. During winter time at night (Mid Jan to Mid Feb on weekends), It is a beautiful view with snow on the staircase with the lantern. While during Summer and summer (May to Sep), It is popular to visit restaurant with platform on top of Kibune River. (Platform will be remove in Winter)

There are three location for the Kifune Shrine. Kifune Shrine main shrine 貴船神社本宫 Kifune Shrine - Yui no Yashiro (Nakamiya [Middle Shrine]) 貴船神社 結社 (中宮) Kifune Shrine - Okumiya [Rear Shrine] 貴船神社 奥宮 is locater further north around 15 min walk.

Try to fortune slip. The slip is soak in water to reveal your fortune.

Middle shrine is famous for matchmaking. The middle shrine of Kifune Shrine and famous for matchmaking. Enshrined in the shrine is Iwanaga-hime-no-mikoto. The legend says that when Ninigi-no-mikoto, great-grandfather to Emperor Jinmu, requested to take Konohanasakuya-hime as his wife, her father instead offered the older sister, Iwanaga-hime, but Ninigi-no-mikoto only had eyes for Konohanasakuya-hime. Iwanaga-hime, greatly ashamed, proclaimed “I shall remain here and bestow good relationships upon the people,” and was subsequently enshrined at the shrine. In the Heian-period, worried about her husband’s change of heart, the lady poet Izumi Shikibu visited the shrine. With her wish being fulfilled after offering her prayer through song, the shrine was from there on known as the “Shrine of Love.”

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...

A small shire with famous red lantans along the stair.

Kifune shire came from a legend of goddess Tamayori Hime that sailed a yellow boat from Osaka Bay up the river to this very spot, which gave the same of Kifune (Yellow boat).

It is said that the local people pray to the water deity here, and in the olden days, they used to offer the Black Horse when there is drought and the White Horse when there is flood. So there are black and white horse statues in the shire.

The shire is also a birth place for Ema (the wooden plaque that is used for offer prayer and wish that you hand up in the shire).

The sacred water that drops down from the mountain is beautiful and makes you feel spititual. There is a fortune telling that you have to flote in the water for the fortune to appear. (QR code for English translation)

We went on the weekend and there were a lot of both local and international tourists so we could not enjoy it as much as we should. So i would recommend going on weekdays instead.

Tips : We planned a one day trip starting from Kamigamo , Shimogamo, Kamo Delta, and then Kifune, and it turned out to be perfect for us in terms of timing and travelling So you could check out this route if you are interested. In autumn, there is a Maple tunnel along the Eizan railway. Kyoto Bus No. 33 from the train station to Kifune cost 170 yen and may not operate all year round and only operates at night during festive season. So be sure to check with Kifune website...

We decided to rent a car to hit up a few destinations that we a little more out of the way, and Kifune shrine was one of them. I had read reviews where the traffic and parking were frustrating, but we may have gotten lucky and stumbled upon a quiet afternoon. The roads were clear, and the drive through the small town and natural landscapes were enjoyable.

There are little shops and restaurants scattered along the way up the hill that could make for a nice, easy hike up if you choose to transit and walk up.

The late December air was a little chilly but pleasantly so and we only encountered several people. We dined at a nearby restaurant and tried their delicious fresh tofu dishes.

For the shrine itself, the iconic path leading up is even more stunning in person. How the shrine is layered on different levels in itself is interesting. The water omukuji is also fun and fitting for the shrine, the qr code and translation was so helpful.

Our overall experience was serene and rejuvenating from the busy itinerary we had so far. And somehow, we did leave with a feeling like we were cleansed, and our minds were lighter. We're glad we had this on our list.

It's a nice trip out from the hustle and bustle of the city that we would recommend. We would definitely come visit again during a warmer season to dine on the waters and get a...