Northern Kyoto
Northern Kyoto is recommended for Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion) and Ninna-ji Temples, Kifune Jinja Shrine and other such sights.
Shimogamo Shrine
A World Heritage Site. One of the oldest shrines in Kyoto, Shimogamo Shrine is said to be where people would come to pray for success when Kyoto was being built as Japan's capital in ancient times. One of the three great festivals of Kyoto, Aoi Matsuri is held every year on May 15 at Shimogamo and Kamigamo Shrines. The festival is like a reproduction of a magnificent ancient scroll. Located in an ancient forest named Tadasu no Mori, Shimogamo Shrine has an awe-inspiring air about its grounds. Next to the tower gate is Aioi Shrine, famed for its god of marriage. Among the many other sites steeped in legend and mystery are the shrines protecting the zodiac next to the main hall and the pond of purifying water, the bubbles of which are said to be the inspiration for mitarashi dango, a popular Japanese treat.
| Open hours: |
6:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Admission: |
No admission fee |
| Address: | 59 Shimogamo Izumigawa-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto |
| URL: | http://www.shimogamo-jinja.or.jp/english.html |
| Phone: | +81-(0)75-781-0010 |
| Access: |
It is a 10-minute walk from Demachiyanagi Station on Keihan Electric Railway. |
Kifune Shrine
This shrine is dedicated to the god of water. It is also the birthplace of writing wishes and of votive horse tablets. Long ago, people would go to Kifune Shrine and offer a white horse if they desired sunny weather and a black horse for rain. As the horse was a very valuable possession, the custom changed so that wooden tablets with a picture of a horse were given in place of an actual horse. This became the ema, or votive horse tables, that are offered at shrines throughout Japan today.
The lanterns and arching autumn trees along the stone stairway leading to the shrine create a mystical air in the evening when everything is lit up. The fortunes drawn at Kifune Shrine are called "mizu uranai mikuji." When you place the white strip of paper in the water, the letters become visible, telling your fortune.
| Open hours: |
6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (until 6:00 p.m. from December through April. Good luck charms, fortunes and stamps: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) |
|---|---|
| Admission: |
There is no admission charge to the grounds. |
| Address: | 180 Kurama Kibune-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture |
| URL: | http://kifunejinja.jp/ |
| Phone: | +81-(0)75-741-2016 |
| Access: |
• Take Eizan Electric Railway to Kibuneguchi Station. It is a 30-minute walk. • Take Eizan Electric Railway to Kibuneguchi Station, then Kyoto city bus 33 to the Kibune bus stop. It is a five-minute walk. |
Attractions along the Keihan line
Discount Tickets
When using Keihan Electric Railway, passes for visitors to Japan are a convenient way to get around. Not only do you get unlimited rides on Kyoto and Osaka lines, the passes come with a number of other benefits. For travel in Osaka and Kyoto, these passes are indispensable!