Kifune Shrine, Shinto shrine in Sakyo-ku, Japan
Kifune is a Shinto shrine in Sakyō-ku, Japan, located at the upper reaches of the Kamo River and reached through a steep stone staircase. The complex divides into three separate buildings, each erected above spring pools and surrounded by old maple trees.
During the Heian period, court officials brought black horses here to pray for rain and white horses to request fair weather. The shrine stood under imperial patronage and served as an important stop for petitions to the deities of water.
Visitors draw fortunes on special paper strips that reveal their messages only after dipping them into the clear spring water. This form of divination connects belief in the purifying power of water with curiosity about what lies ahead.
Take the Eizan train to Kibuneguchi Station and follow the footpath uphill through Kibune village to reach the shrine. The staircase with 87 steps requires steady footing, especially in wet conditions or winter.
Beneath the three main halls lie spring pools called ryuketsu, which evoke the image of dragon caves. Water flows from the mountains directly into these pools and has been considered sacred for centuries.
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