Visited: Wednesday, August 19, 2026 — Sunny
On this day, I traveled from Kibune to Kurama.
I visited Kurama-dera Temple, crossed the mountain, and returned to Kibune once again.
Then came the evening.
After making my way back to Kibuneguchi Station, for some reason I boarded a train going in the opposite direction from home.
My destination was—
Kurama. Again.
The reason was simple.
I wanted a seat on the Eizan Railway for the journey home.
Here is the story of my day in Kibune and Kurama.
→ 🚉Stopover Journey｜From Kurama to Kibune on an Unplanned Mountain Hike
Back to Kurama Just to Get a Seat
Kurama Station is the end of the line, and it is also the starting station for trains heading toward Demachiyanagi.
If I travel just one stop in the opposite direction from Kibuneguchi and board at Kurama, I might have a better chance of getting a seat.
I also have the Eizan Railway one-day pass, the “Ee Kippu.”
I’ve walked nearly 25,000 steps today.
And crossed a mountain.
At this point—
I want to sit down.
That’s all.
I arrive at Kurama Station.
I get off the train.
All right.
I’ll take the next train home.
……
Or so I thought.
Since I Came All the Way Back to Kurama…
It’s evening.
I’m hungry too.
Since I’ve come all the way back to Kurama, maybe I’ll find something to eat before going home.
I look for a restaurant near the station.
The first one—
already finished for the day.
Oh.
That familiar worry I had at lunchtime in Kibune—
finding myself with nowhere to eat.
Again?
Let’s try one more place.
Kuramaso, Just Before Closing
The next place I visited was—
Kuramaso.
It seemed to be almost closing time here too.
I asked if I could still have a meal,
and they let me in.
Good.
I’ve been walking since morning
and even crossed Mount Kurama.
An air-conditioned room.
A chair.
At this point,
I’m already pretty happy.
After returning to Kurama Station,
I happened to enter Kuramaso,
a traditional inn with a dining area.
The exterior made me hesitate a little before going in,
but there was a restaurant inside.
I looked at the menu and ordered the Ushiwaka set meal.
Ordering the Ushiwaka Set Meal
I ordered—
the Ushiwaka set meal, ¥2,640.
And—
a draft beer.
Kawadoko dining is nice too.
But sitting comfortably inside an air-conditioned room
with a draft beer—
happiness.
The food arrives.
Several small dishes are arranged in front of me.
Sashimi, simmered dishes, rice and pickles.
And clear soup.
Let’s eat.
Lightly Seasoned, but Not Lacking in Flavor
One bite.
Ah.
This is good.
The seasoning isn’t strong.
In fact, it’s quite light.
But—
lightly seasoned, yet not lacking in flavor.
The dashi comes through clearly.
I can taste the ingredients too.
This is different from food that simply tastes “weak” because less seasoning has been used.
This is the kind of flavor I like.
The Clear Soup
What particularly stayed with me
was the clear soup.
It isn’t a flashy dish.
But—
perhaps dishes like this are the hardest to get right.
One sip.
……
There’s nowhere to hide.
Impressive.
The cooking is—
the real thing.
A big hit.
Exactly my kind of food.
After walking around since morning,
I never expected to come across a meal like this at the very end of the day.
¥2,640
The Ushiwaka set meal costs ¥2,640.
It isn’t a cheap meal.
But when I finished eating, I thought—
if I want to eat something genuinely good, spending this much is worth it.
For food like this,
I’ll pay.
I’ll just go back to work and earn some more. 😊
Incidentally, at lunchtime that same day,
I didn’t pay the additional ¥550 to use the kawadoko dining area in Kibune.
And in the evening,
I’m eating a ¥2,640 Ushiwaka set meal.
Looking only at the numbers,
there’s quite a difference.
But for me,
it seems it isn’t simply about whether something is cheap or expensive.
It’s whether I personally see value in it.
Sometimes I won’t spend ¥550.
Sometimes I’ll happily spend ¥2,640.
How we choose to spend money while traveling
is different for everyone.
Oh, This Is an Inn
By the time I had finished eating and was getting ready to leave,
an older couple arrived.
But instead of entering through the dining area,
they went through another entrance at the front.
Huh?
What’s over there?
Then I heard someone from the establishment greet them—
“Welcome back.”
Ah.
This is an inn.
I had come in simply looking for somewhere to eat,
and only then did I realize it.
It was probably around the time when overnight guests were returning to the inn.
I asked for the bill too, but the staff seemed busy, so I had to wait a little.
But—
I’d had a delicious meal and was completely satisfied.
And I was only a dining customer who had arrived just as they were about to finish serving for the day.
They had taken care of me during a busy time,
so—
I was happy to wait.
I waited patiently for the bill.
The Ushiwaka set meal and draft beer came to—
¥3,245.
Thank you for the meal.
Until What Time Can You Eat Here?
I asked the staff a little about their dining hours.
When I visited,
I was told that meals were available until “around 5 p.m.”
However, this is also an inn.
Depending on the situation with overnight guests, they may not always be able to accommodate many people who come only for a meal.
I happened to be able to eat there just before they finished serving that day,
but—
that doesn’t mean you can always drop in and have a meal in the same way.
If you’re planning to visit, it would probably be best to check in advance.
The Ushiwaka set meal and draft beer I ordered.
I took my time over the sashimi,
vegetable dishes, clear soup and other dishes.
After the meal, I returned to Kurama Station
and finally began my journey home on a wrapped Eizan Railway train.
This Time, I Really Am Going Home
I return to Kurama Station.
This time,
I’m really heading toward Demachiyanagi.
I board the train.
The interior feels a little nostalgic.
Maybe it’s another older train?
That’s what I’m thinking
as I ride all the way to Demachiyanagi.
Then we arrive.
I get off the train
and see the outside for the first time.
Huh?
It’s wrapped.
When you’re sitting inside a train,
you can’t see what the outside of your own train looks like.
Obvious, really.
But somehow,
it felt like a small bonus at the end of the day.
I wasn’t able to find out
what the wrapping was for.
Not Kyoto Station, but Yamashina
From Demachiyanagi, I take the Keihan Railway.
I get off at Sanjo.
From Sanjo Keihan Station,
I transfer to the Kyoto City Subway Tozai Line.
But instead of heading for Kyoto Station,
I head for Yamashina Station.
Once again,
I’m going in a slightly unusual direction.
The reason—
yet again—
I want a seat.
I’ve walked more than 25,000 steps today.
And crossed Mount Kurama.
Tomorrow,
I have to work again.
I want to save some energy for the journey home too.
So this time,
I decide to take JR from Yamashina Station.
If I board the Special Rapid train one stop before Kyoto Station,
maybe I’ll have a slightly better chance of getting a seat?
Of course,
there’s no guarantee.
I arrive at Yamashina Station.
I transfer to JR.
The train arrives.
I get on.
……
I got a seat. ✨
The final mission of the day—
success.
At the End of the Journey
My step count for the day was—
25,121 steps.
I walked from Kibuneguchi
to Kibune.
Then I traveled to Kurama,
visited Kurama-dera Temple,
and crossed the mountain—a route I had never planned to take.
I returned to Kibune,
and finally went all the way back to Kurama again, just to get a seat on the train.
And there,
I happened to find the Ushiwaka set meal.
It wasn’t a restaurant I had planned to visit.
I simply happened to walk in just before they finished serving for the day.
But—
the meal I had at the end of this journey
really stayed with me.
Lightly seasoned, but not lacking in flavor.
When I eat Kyoto cuisine,
every now and then I come across flavors like this.
And finally,
I managed to sit down for the journey home from Yamashina.
A day that didn’t go according to plan.
But—
it all worked out in the end.
That, too,
is part of a stopover journey.
🍵 YUMEVOJA Food Radar
Kuramaso — Ushiwaka Set Meal: ¥2,640
Sweetness: ★☆☆☆☆
Saltiness: ★★☆☆☆
Dashi Flavor: ★★★★★
Oiliness: ☆☆☆☆☆
Spiciness: ☆☆☆☆☆
Aroma: ★★★☆☆
Portion size: Average
Ease of visiting: ★★☆☆☆
YUMEVOJA Rating
★★★★★ Very Satisfied
Personal evaluation including the food, atmosphere, and people.
📍For the latest opening hours, holidays,
and other updates,
please check Google Maps and the official website.
Information may change without notice.
📍Google Maps👇
Kuramaso
🌐Official website👇
Kuramaso
What I Found Out Later
While checking the official website for this article, I discovered one more thing.
Its full name is:
Kuramaso, a ryori ryokan — a Japanese inn specializing in cuisine.
So, it was a ryori ryokan.
The website showed photos of beautiful, elaborate dishes.
That made sense.
Now I understood a little better why the Ushiwaka-zen had been so good.
Come to think of it, I had also seen a banner advertising unagi, grilled eel, outside.
I was curious, but…
Eel looked expensive.
So I chose the Ushiwaka-zen instead.
Haha.
I had walked in without knowing anything about the place and thought,
“The food is seriously good. What a great find.”
Only later did I discover that it was a ryori ryokan.
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