Kifune Shrine

Kifune Shrine is an ancient shrine located in the mountainous, nature-rich area of Kifune in Kyoto’s Sakyo Ward. Enshrining Takao-no-Kami, the god of water, as its principal deity, it is the head shrine of approximately 2,000 Kifune Shrines throughout Japan. Although the exact date of its founding is unknown, records show that the shrine buildings were already being rebuilt in 677, the sixth year of the Hakuhō era, and it is known as one of the oldest shrines in Japan.

“Kifune” was also written in ancient times as “Kifune,” meaning “the source from which vitality arises.” Believed to be a sacred place where one can gain energy by encountering the divine spirit, it has long attracted many worshippers. Because it enshrines a deity who governs water, it has also been revered as a guardian deity by those connected to water-related industries such as agriculture, fishing, and brewing, and it has received deep veneration from successive imperial courts. Records also remain of prayers for rain and prayers to stop rain, in which black horses were offered during droughts and white or red horses during prolonged rains.

The original site of the shrine is believed to be the present Okunomiya. After Okunomiya was damaged by flooding, the Main Shrine was moved to its current location in 1055. Today, three shrines stand along the Kibune River from downstream to upstream: the Main Shrine, Yui-no-Yashiro, and Okunomiya. A pilgrimage to visit these three shrines in order, known as “Sansha-mairi,” is widely practiced.

At the Main Shrine, Takao-no-Kami, the deity who governs water, is enshrined, and worshippers seeking good fortune, fulfillment of their wishes, and the blessings of water never cease to come. Spring water from Mount Kibune flows out from the stone retaining wall in front of the main hall, and a unique fortune-telling custom called “Mizuura-mikuji” is one of the shrine’s specialties: when the fortune slip is floated on this sacred water, words appear on it.

At “Yui-no-Yashiro,” located beyond the Main Shrine, Iwanagahime-no-Mikoto, the deity of matchmaking, is enshrined. A famous story tells that the Heian-period poetess Izumi Shikibu prayed here when troubled by her husband’s change of heart, and her wish for reconciliation was fulfilled. Since then, the shrine has been deeply revered by young people as the “Shrine of Love.” By writing one’s wish on a green “musubi-bumi” slip and tying it at the “musubi-dokoro,” it is said that one may receive good relationships of many kinds, not limited to romance.

Okunomiya is the original site of the shrine and lies about a 15-minute walk along a mountain path from the present Main Shrine. Beneath the main sanctuary is a sacred space called the “Ryūketsu,” or dragon cave, believed to be a place where divine power resides. It is still covered by the main hall today, and no one can see inside directly. Since ancient times, Okunomiya has been regarded as a special spiritual area, and traditions also remain of its worship as a deity of ships and of enshrining Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto.

Takao-no-Kami is a water deity who appears in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. It is said that when Izanagi-no-Mikoto cut down the fire deity Kagu-tsuchi, this god was born from the blood that dripped from the sword. This deity is revered as a being that subdues raging fire and brings harmony to nature. The names “Takao-no-Kami” (the dragon god of the mountains) and “Kuraokami-no-Kami” (the dragon god of the valleys) are sometimes used separately, but at Kifune Shrine they are regarded as the same deity under different names, worshipped as the god of water sources who calls forth clouds, brings rain, stores water underground, and releases it as needed.

According to the shrine’s traditions, legends also tell of the deity’s descent to this land: it is said that the god descended upon Kagami-iwa in the mountains of Kibune on a day of the ox in the year of the ox, month of the ox, and day of the ox. For this reason, “Ushi no Hi” is still observed as a festival day at Kifune Shrine. Another legend says that Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto, the mother of Emperor Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan, traveled by boat from Osaka Bay up the Yodo River, the Kamo River, and the Kibune River, discovered the sacred spring area known as Fukii, and built a small shrine there, which is said to be the origin of Kifune Shrine.

The area around Kifune Shrine is blessed with nature throughout the four seasons, captivating many visitors in every season: fresh greenery in spring, the cool kawadoko river terraces that are a summer specialty, vibrant autumn foliage, and fantastical snowy landscapes in winter. Especially during the autumn foliage season, the shrine is illuminated at night, and the combination of lantern light lining the stone steps with the colored leaves creates a mysterious and dreamlike scene.

In this way, Kifune Shrine has continued to walk alongside people’s prayers since ancient times as a “shrine of water and spiritual energy,” and it remains a site of deep reverence in Kyoto today. Through a visit, one can experience a sacred moment of cleansing both mind and body with the blessings of pure water, while replenishing one’s spiritual energy.