What other travelers are saying about Kifune Shrine
Take only a short 5 mins walk up the stairs to the shrine. The lamp path is so pretty and photogenic. On the left hand side you can donate to the temple and pick up the fortune paper that the prophesy will only appear when the paper is soaking which is also come with the QR code to scan and read the translate version in English too.
The shrine is very small but the environment is great, with tall trees and clear mountains and streams. If you come in autumn, you can enjoy the maple leaves on the train🍁 But you need to transfer a few times to get there from the city. It takes five or six hours to go back and forth. If you are in a hurry, there is no need to come here.
Wonderful place!
Not too far from Kyoto. I actually did the hike from Mount Kurama to Kifune, it was a stunning experience. Very rewarding when I reached this beautiful town full of amazing restaurants and good vibes. If you like to explore something unique, this is a great town.
Enjoy the tranquility and harmony!
To go this place, many tourist will exit at the Eizan rail station before Kurama. This route takes a bus ride about 200 yen to get you to the shire or you have to walk 20 mins uphill on a narrow road.
Instead, take Eizan rail all the way up to the last station Kurama with the 1 day pass where you can use it to go Mt. Heizan on the same day. At Kurama station, walk to the kurama temple Niomon , pay the entrance fee 500 yen and walk to the cable car station on the right hand side. Buy the ticket 200 yen and let the cable car take you halfway up the mountain. Hike the mountain for 20 mins to reach Kurama Dera and there onwards is all the way hiking downhill to Kifune shire.
Not recommend to eat at the water top restaurant, too overpriced. The lamps are an appreciation to the donation from every person to the temple.
The place overall is nice. It’s quite far and awkward to get to. Unless you understand Japanese or the process of offering and talismans, and this is what you want to do, there are definitely better places to visit as a foreigner. If you are a blogger, you will probably would not mind the trip but if you are a normal tourist who doesn’t speak the local language, I would not recommend this place. I felt it was a bit of a waste of our day. If you choose to come here, it might be best to hire a local guide and ideally travel by car.
