Kifune Shrine

History and Divine Virtue

Set along the Kifune River at the headwaters of Kyoto's Kamo River, this is the head shrine of some two thousand Kifune shrines across Japan, enshrining Takaokami no Kami, the deity who governs water. From ancient times the imperial court revered it as a shrine for prayers to bring or halt rain: a black horse was offered in times of drought, a white horse in times of endless rain, and the later custom of dedicating wooden boards painted with horses in their place is said to be one origin of the ema, the votive plaque. The shrine has long been worshipped as the guardian of every livelihood that depends on the blessing of water. Its precincts comprise three sanctuaries — the main shrine (Hongu), the middle shrine Yui-no-Yashiro (Nakamiya), and the inner shrine (Okumiya). Beneath the inner shrine's main hall lies the Funagata-ishi, a boat-shaped rock where the goddess Tamayorihime no Mikoto is said to have come to rest after ascending the river in a yellow boat. The middle sanctuary, Yui-no-Yashiro, enshrines Iwanagahime no Mikoto and has been famed since the Heian period as a shrine of en-musubi, the tying of destined bonds; the poet Izumi Shikibu is said to have prayed here for the restoration of her marriage, and her wish was granted. The stone stairway lined with rows of Kasuga lanterns is among Kyoto's most celebrated approaches, deeply atmospheric in every season, from fresh green maples to snowfall. The shrine is also beloved for its mizura-mikuji — fortune slips whose words appear only when floated on the sacred water.

Visiting Notes

• The time-honored way to visit is the sansha-mode, calling at the three sanctuaries in order: Hongu, then Okumiya, then Yui-no-Yashiro.
• The mizura-mikuji, a fortune slip whose message emerges when floated on the sacred water, is unique to Kifune.
• Yui-no-Yashiro holds a stone inscribed with a poem by Izumi Shikibu. For matchmaking wishes, write your hope on a musubi-bumi paper and tie it at the shrine.

Deities and Location

Enshrined Deities

Takaokami no Kami

Location

京都府京都市左京区鞍馬貴船町 (Kyoto)

Access

From Kibuneguchi Station on the Eizan Railway, by bus or on foot

Lineage

Dragon & Water Deities, En-musubi: Bonds & Love

Visiting hours, goshuin (shrine stamps), and festival dates change; please confirm the latest information through each shrine's official announcements. If you find an error in this entry, we would be grateful if you let us know.