Date visited: Wednesday, August 19, 2026 — Sunny
Today, I’m heading to Kibune and Kurama.
As usual, I’ll figure things out when I get there.
No restaurant reservations either.
Well then.
Let’s see what happens.
First, My Plans Fell Apart
I was planning to take the JR train to Kyoto.
But there were delays, and the timetable was disrupted.
Hmm.
What should I do?
For now, I decided to head to Osaka.
There are several ways to get from Osaka to Kyoto.
JR.
Hankyu.
Keihan.
This time—
I’ll try the Keihan Railway.
From Kyobashi to Demachiyanagi
I headed to Kyobashi Station.
I’ve been here before.
I walked around this area endlessly on my Osaka Loop Line stopover journey.
→ Read my Osaka Loop Line — Kyobashi article here
Back then, the complicated station thoroughly confused me.
But this time, I’m not here for sightseeing.
I’m changing trains.
From the JR Osaka Loop Line to the Keihan Railway.
My destination is Demachiyanagi Station.
From Kyobashi Station, I took the Keihan Railway toward Demachiyanagi.
After checking the departure board, I boarded the train for Kyoto.
At the terminal, Demachiyanagi Station, I transferred to the Eizan Railway.
I used to think that going to Kyoto meant going through Kyoto Station.
But if your destination is Kibune or Kurama, you can head straight to Demachiyanagi.
And from there, take the Eizan Railway.
Little by little, the railway network of the Kansai region is starting to connect in my head.
Writing my Osaka Loop Line series has turned out to be useful in unexpected ways.
Taking Keihan’s “Rakuraku” Train
From Kyobashi Station, I boarded the Rapid Limited Express Rakuraku.
As I waited on the platform, I realized that the carriage in front of me had reserved seating.
Huh?
Not here.
I hurried to another carriage.
What am I doing this early in the morning?
Anyway, I made it on board.
From here, the train takes me straight to Demachiyanagi in Kyoto.
It wasn’t part of my original plan, but—
the Keihan Railway ended up becoming another companion on this journey.
From Demachiyanagi to the Eizan Railway
I arrived at Demachiyanagi.
At Demachiyanagi Station, I transferred to the Eizan Railway.
I bought the “Ee Kippu” one-day pass and headed toward Kibuneguchi Station, enjoying the green scenery along the way.
From here, I’m taking the Eizan Railway.
I bought the:
“Ee Kippu” One-Day Pass.
(🌐 Official website: Eizan Railway “Ee Kippu” One-Day Pass)
I’m planning to visit both Kibune and Kurama today.
I’ll probably be taking the train several times, so this pass should come in handy.
But when I tried to go through the ticket gate—
It wouldn’t let me through.
Huh?
I asked a station attendant and tried another gate.
This time, it worked.
I have no idea why.
Well, I got through, so that’s good enough.
I boarded the train.
First stop: Kibuneguchi.
The Train Was Pretty Crowded
It was summer vacation season in Kyoto.
The Eizan train was much more crowded than I had expected.
There were also many families who appeared to be visiting from overseas.
In my mind, Kibune and Kurama are a little removed from central Kyoto.
I had imagined somewhere quieter.
I was wrong.
Kibune in summer.
Apparently, it’s popular.
The train continued into the mountains.
Along the way, when we reached the famous Maple Tree Tunnel, an announcement played and the train slowed down.
It’s summer now, so everything outside the window is green.
It must be beautiful in autumn.
Arriving at Kibuneguchi
I got off at Kibuneguchi Station.
When I arrived at Kibuneguchi Station,
there was a long line for the bus toward Kifune Shrine.
Instead of taking the bus, I decided to walk along the river.
I followed the narrow road toward Kibune as cars and buses passed by.
From here, I’m heading toward Kifune Shrine.
Most people leaving the station headed for the bus.
At first, I was going to take it too.
But it left.
Wait for the next one?
Or—
Walk?
Since I’m here anyway,
I decided to walk.
And that was the beginning of a very long day.
Walking from Kibuneguchi
I followed the road along the river.
Lots of greenery.
The river close by.
It feels good.
…Except.
There are stretches without a sidewalk.
And cars and buses use this road too.
In the narrow sections, even two vehicles passing each other looks difficult.
And I’m walking right beside them.
Several buses passed me along the way.
There are quite a lot of these buses.
I found myself thinking that more than once.
Should I have taken one?
No.
I’m walking today.
Still, this road…
I wouldn’t want to drive here.
Every time I watched two vehicles squeeze past each other, I muttered to myself:
“Nope. I couldn’t do this.”
I Found Lunch
Along the way, I spotted a place where I could get something to eat.
Fujiya.
There’s still a long way to go, so I decided to eat here.
I ordered the:
Seseragi Set — ¥1,500.
Somen noodles and salt-grilled ayu sweetfish.
Using the kawadoko dining platform over the river required an additional fee.
I thought about it for a moment, but decided to eat inside this time.
The river is right in front of me anyway.
That’s probably enough.
👉 I’ve written about the food separately in my “Beauty & Taste” series.
▶︎ 🍵Beauty & Taste｜Ayu and Somen in Kibune — Without the Kawadoko
Most importantly—
I managed to eat before becoming a hungry traveler with nowhere to go.
That matters.
The Town of Kawadoko Restaurants Goes On and On
After lunch, I started walking again.
From here, more and more kawadoko restaurants began to appear.
One.
Then another.
And another.
Still more.
Wait… there are even more?
They stretched much farther into the valley than I had imagined.
Looking at the menus, meals costing over ¥10,000 were not unusual.
I see.
So this is Kibune in summer.
Platforms are built over the river, and people dine above the flowing water.
It certainly looks cool.
And very photogenic.
But this time—
I’ll leave the photogenic kawadoko experience to everyone else.
I’m walking.
To Kifune Shrine
At last, I reached the main shrine of Kifune Shrine.
I walked to Kifune Shrine and climbed the stone steps lined with red lanterns toward the main shrine.
Even surrounded by the green foliage of summer,
the shrine grounds were filled with visitors.
…So many people.
Far more than I expected.
Perhaps summer vacation has something to do with it.
For now, I purified my hands and went inside.
I moved along, taking photos, but—
People.
People.
People.
Hmm.
I still want to go to Kurama today.
If I spend too much time here, the rest of the day is going to get difficult.
So—
That’s enough for this time.
I gave up on visiting the shrine properly.
Just because I’ve come all this way doesn’t mean I have to see everything.
I can always come back.
Probably.
For Now, On to Kurama
I left Kibune and returned to Kibuneguchi Station.
Back onto the Eizan Railway.
This time, I’m heading to Kurama.
After walking around Kibune,
I returned to Kibuneguchi Station
and took the Eizan Railway to my next destination, Kurama.
From here, the journey continues to Mount Kurama.
Since I bought a one-day pass, I might as well make full use of it.
The train I boarded had seats designed for enjoying the scenery outside.
They faced the windows.
I watched the green mountains for one stop.
And then—
Kurama Station.
The moment I arrived,
Oh. I remember this place.
I came here with my father once.
It was a long time ago, but seeing the scenery brought the memories back.
From here, this journey feels like it might become something a little different.
Today’s My Map
The map alone can be a little difficult to follow, so I’ve put the day’s route into a table.
Some stations appear more than once.
That is not a mistake.
| No. | Place / Transport | What I Did |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyobashi Station | Transferred from JR to the Keihan Railway |
| 2 | Demachiyanagi Station | Transferred from Keihan to the Eizan Railway |
| 3 | Kibuneguchi Station | Got off and walked to Kibune instead of taking the bus |
| 4 | Fujiya | Early lunch |
| 5 | Kifune Shrine, Main Shrine | Gave up because of the crowds |
| 6 | Kibuneguchi Station | Took the Eizan Railway to Kurama |
| 7 | Kurama Station | Headed for Kurama-dera Temple |
| 8 | Kurama-dera Temple | Cable car, Tenporin-do Hall, Main Hall and Reihoden Museum |
| 9 | Okunoin Trail | Walked across Mount Kurama |
| 10 | Kibune | Returned to Kibune through the West Gate |
| 11 | Yui-no-Yashiro & Okunomiya | Continued farther into Kibune |
| 12 | Kifune Shrine, Main Shrine | Tried again, but it was still crowded |
| 13 | Kibuneguchi Station | Returned by bus |
| 14 | Kurama Station | For some reason, went one stop back in the opposite direction |
| 15 | Kuramansou | Ushiwaka set meal + draft beer |
| 16 | Kurama Station | Finally started heading home |
| 17 | Demachiyanagi Station | Transferred to the Keihan Railway |
| 18 | Sanjo / Sanjo Keihan | Transferred to the Tozai Subway Line |
| 19 | Yamashina Station | Took the JR Special Rapid train. And I got a seat ✨ |
I’ve included the entire day’s route on this My Map.
Which means it also shows what I did after this point.
If you look at the map first, you may find yourself wondering:
“Huh?”
I went to Kibune.
Then Kurama.
And after that—
Why did I go back that way again?
That certainly wasn’t what I had planned when I set out that morning.
Travel doesn’t always go according to plan.
Or rather—
in my case, things usually start getting strange somewhere along the way.
Next | Mount Kurama
I’ve arrived at Kurama Station.
I once visited this place with my father.
From here, I’m heading to Kurama-dera Temple.
As I walk, memories I had forgotten gradually begin to return.
And then I end up taking a path I never planned to walk.
From Kurama, across the mountain to Kibune.
Well then.
Let’s go.
👉 Related illustrations here
(Free to use)
▶︎ 🎨View illustration page
👉Choose Kyoto by mood.
▶︎☆View the Kyoto Guide
👉Next time, why not explore Osaka one station at a time?
▶︎☆View the Osaka Loop Line Guide