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One of the greatest and really underrated Kyoto day trips is a trip to Mount Kurama (Kurama-yama). Mount Kurama is a typical example of the blending of Buddhism, Shinto (jap. Shintō) and esoteric traditions in Japan. It also is the home of the legendary Tengu King. One of the first things that you will see when you start the hike on Mount Kurama at the village Kurama is a big Tengu head statue.
Tengu and the Kurama mountains
A Tengu is a Sensei who used to teach famous samurai in sword and superhuman martial arts. Sōjōbō is the mightiest of them and supposed to live in the mountains of Kurama. Tengus also personify the might of the mountains. Dangerous, but also spiritually inspiring.
Mount Kurama is a really mystical and famous place, but still not that known to tourists. The Kurama-dera temple located on this mountain is an important buddhistic center, the entrances to the mountain are marked by Torii which on the other hand belongs to Shintoism, You will find a little well at the main entrance for the Shinto Temizuya cleansing ritual. Additionally, along the hiking route you will find multiple little Shinto shrines and you can literally feel the presence of the Kami (gods/spirits) of the mountain. Tengu is often considered to be one of those Kami.
How to get to Kurama?
You can easily get to Kurama via the Eizan line from Kyoto Demachiyanagi station. From there it takes about 20 minutes and it is a very idyllic ride through the forests north of Kyoto. There are actually a number of instagram reels about this ride.
Kyoto Day Trip: The hiking route
This Kyoto day trip is a pilgrimage route. The destination of the route is not the temple, but the Kifune village. You start at Kurama village, go up to the Kurama-dera to take up the spiritual energy there, pray if you like and enjoy view, then it goes down again to Kifune at the other side of the mountain. The hiking route is very light-weight and the steep stairs at the beginning when you come from Kurama village through the main entrance to the mountain, then you can shortcut them via the cable car for ¥200. Therefore, we can definitely recommend it to go there with kids as well.
Many of the stairways up the mountain to the Kurama-dera are flanked by rows of red lanterns (see title picture). At the top at the Kurama-dera you have a nice view over parts of the Kitayama mountains which really remind you of the Totoro forest. Very dense mixed forests with bamboo, Japanese cedars, and deciduous trees. Especially after the rain, when mist rises, the atmosphere feels just like in the Totoro movie.
Kurama-dera
The Kurama-dera has a nice big plaza with a big hexagon on the floor (in tourist guides often referred as six-pointed star, which is actually not very precise😊). The hexagon is surrounded by many other geometrical shapes which makes it look like a mandala. It is known as Kongō-sei (Diamand Floor) which according to the temple‘s tradition is a center of powerful spiritual energy. Visitors often stay in its center and pray or „charge up“ with energy.
Accomodation in Kurama: Kurama Onsen
There are also a few Hotels in Kurama such as the Kurama Onsen. Unfortunately, it is often booked out. I think that many locals from Kyoto go on vacation there. However, we recommend you to stay at Ohara which is only 15 minutes by taxi or by car if you have a rental car. For infos on Ohara check out my blog post on Ohara village – a hidden gem.
Arigato gozaimasu for reading.
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