| Kifune Shrine | 貴船神社 |
| Kibune (貴船) | December 31, 2019 |
About Kifune Shrine
Kifune Shrine is actually three shrines, the main shrine, rear shrine, and Yui no Yashiro shrine, all located in a line at the base of Mt Kibune. The main shrine has been in its current location since 1055 and is famous for its sacred water. Yui no Yashiro shrine is famous for matchmaking. The rear shrine is actually the oldest of the three. A pit that’s called “Ryuketsu” or “dragon den” is at the center of the shrine. As it’s an extremely holy place, the dragon din is not viewable to the public.
My Visit
We visited Kifune Shrine on the same day we visited Sanzen-in and Jikko-in. It’s off the beaten path and far from any station in Kyoto Prefecture, so it must be accessed by car or bus.
Driving here was extremely intimidating. One one side we had the shrine, shops, restaurants, and more. On the other side a long fall into a river. To make it even better, the narrow road that is big enough for one car is in fact a two way street. I really recommend going by bus because the parking lot for the shrine is really small.
The shrine itself is peaceful. The walk up the red lantern-lined stone stairs to the shrine leads to the main shrine. We went on a damp, rainy day, surrounding us with the sound of water.
This was our last stop for the day before heading to Kurama Onsen for the evening.
