Kifune Shrine
貴船神社
The head shrine of water deities on Mt. Kitayama in northern Kyoto. Its vermilion lantern-lined stone approach is highly photogenic, and in summer, kawadoko (riverside dining platforms) on the Kifune River offer a superb way to cool off.
Kifune Shrine sits upstream along the Kifune River in northern Kyoto. It is the head shrine of about 450 Kifune shrines across Japan, enshrines the god of water, and has long been a famous shrine for praying for rain. It is also known for matchmaking. The stone steps lined with rows of vermilion lanterns at the main entrance are among Kyoto's most popular photo spots. They are especially dreamlike on snowy winter days and during the lantern lighting season. At the main shrine, you can draw a “water fortune” paper. Place it in the sacred spring, and writing appears on it. From the main shrine, it is about a 10-minute walk up the river to the Musubi and Okunomiya shrines. From May to September, restaurants along the river set up kawadoko platforms over the water, where you can eat nagashi somen (flowing noodles) and river fish dishes. Reservations are required. Shrine visits are free. Getting there: from Kifune-guchi Station on the Eizan Electric Railway, transfer to a bus for about 5 minutes, or walk for about 30 minutes. You can also hike over the mountain from Kurama-dera, about 1.5 hours.
Opening hours
Approx. 06:00–20:00 (until 18:00 Dec–Apr)
Nearby sights
- Kurama-dera
- Kamigamo Shrine
- Sanzen-in, Ohara
- Rurikoin
- Daitoku-ji
- Shimogamo Shrine
- Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
- Enryaku-ji, Mt. Hiei