Kibune

What to know

Kibune (貴船) is a small town nestled in a forested valley in the northern mountains of Kyoto City, centered around Kifune Shrine. Legend has it that a goddess sailed from Osaka up the river into the mountains north of Kyoto, and Kifune Shrine was built at the spot where her boat journey ended.

Kifune Shrine is dedicated to the god of water and rain, believed to protect those at sea. Here, you can get a unique type of fortune written on paper slips (omikuji) that reveal their messages when dipped in water. Okunomiya, the inner sanctuary and original site of Kifune Shrine, lies about one kilometer further up the valley. It features a large rock called the boat stone, said to be where the goddess's yellow boat is buried.

The rest of the town consists of traditional-style ryokan and restaurants lining the narrow road for a few hundred meters parallel to the Kibune River. It is a popular escape from Kyoto's notorious summer heat, and also draws visitors in autumn when the leaves change color.

From June to September, Kibune's restaurants build covered platforms over the river where guests can dine with the water flowing beneath them. Known as kawadoko, this dining experience is relaxing and a great way to beat the summer heat. Most restaurants serve kaiseki meals ranging from 3,000 to 20,000 yen per person. Reservations are recommended for evenings and busy days.

A hiking trail to Kurama-dera, a mountain temple in neighboring Kurama, starts from Kibune on the opposite side of the river from the road. The temple admission fee (500 yen) is paid at the trailhead. From there, it is about a one-hour hike up the occasionally steep trail to the temple's main buildings, and another 30 minutes to the town below.

Kibune is connected to central Kyoto by the Eizan Railway. The one-way trip on the Eizan Kurama Line from Demachi-Yanagi Station to Kibune-guchi Station takes 30 minutes and costs 470 yen. Trains run every 15-20 minutes. From Kibune-guchi Station, it is a five-minute bus ride (200 yen one way, departures timed to trains) or a 20-30 minute walk up the road to Kifune Shrine.