Mount Kurama

• Kurama's Fire Festival will light up the village on October 22! Festivities start at sunset around Kurama station.

Majestic Mt. Kurama, famous for being the birthplace of reiki, has a lot to offer the curious traveler wishing to explore beyond Kyoto – magical temples, lush forests filled with cedar trees, a welcoming onsen (hot spring), and an easy day hike.

A half-hour train ride from Demachiyanagi Station in central Kyoto transports you to a lush, verdant world of mountain vistas and thick forests obscuring ancient shrines. Right outside the station exit you can see a large statue of Sojobo, king of the Tengu, who is said to have originated in Kurama.

Just a little way up the hill from Kurama Station lies the entrance to Kurama-dera, a huge temple complex that spreads across the mountainside. You can take a cable car up the side of the mountain to the main shrine for 200 yen, or hike the winding path and explore the smaller shrines that dot the hillside on the way up. At the top, the steep slope levels out into a courtyard where the main shrine sits overlooking the surrounding mountains and valley below. It’s a gorgeous vista during any season, but particularly in the autumn when the leaves show their fiery hues.

If you continue up the mountain (wooden steps guide the way), you will eventually leave the temple complex and begin the climb over the top bringing you to the town of Kibune. Through the woods, you will encounter many more small shrines that offer a peaceful respite from the crowds. Of note is one particularly serene grove of trees whose roots have grown above ground and woven together. Including the walk from the base of the shrine complex, the hike is 3.9 km and takes about 2-3 hours, but it’s quite easy and suitable for beginners.

Kurama is also known for its onsen, arguably the best natural hot spring within an hour from Kyoto. A free shuttle bus outside Kurama station will take you there. The Kurama Fire Festival occurs once a year on October 22. Bonfires are lit in front of houses and businesses, and locals parade down the street holding pine torches.