Kifune Shrine and Kurama Temple: A Scenic Day Trip in the Outskirts of Kyoto

If you're planning a day trip around the outskirts of Kyoto during your free time, Kifune Shrine and Kurama Temple are highly recommended! Kifune Shrine is renowned as one of the most beautiful shrines in Japan, and its stunning winter scenery covered in pure white snow is particularly breathtaking. Kurama Temple, with a history of over 1000 years, hosts one of Kyoto's 'three great unusual festivals'—the Kurama Fire Festival—in October each year. Within Kurama Temple, there are monuments inscribed with poems by the famous Japanese poets Tekkan Yosano and Akiko Yosano. Passing through the majestic Niomon Gate and along the winding mountain path of about 1 kilometer to the main hall, visitors can enjoy the beautiful natural scenery surrounding Kurama Temple. The dreamlike crimson Yaezakura cherry blossoms in spring and the panoramic view of the mountainside ablaze with red leaves in autumn are considered the temple's most spectacular sights.