Feel the energy of universe at the Kurama mountain temple

  Kyoto’s summer is hot and humid so I’m always looking for good way to avoid uncomfortable climate in this season. This day I guided my guests to Kurama mountain temple and Kifune shrine located north from the city.

 After getting off the train, Kurama Tengu, one of Japanese supernatural beings welcomed us in front of the station. His nose was broken by heavy snow this January and it have been restored.

HeavySnowfall Breaks Huge Tengu's Nose Kurama, Kyoto City- Kyoto Shimbun

Kurama temple has three objects of worship and one of them enshrined next to the main hall is “Goho-Maoson” who resembles Tengu. It is said that Goho-Maoson came down Earth from Venus 6.5 million years ago…

 There are a lot of stories about Tengu and one of them is associated with my Jewish guest’s background. It is said that one of the lost ten tribes came to Japan and became Tengu. You can watch detail story on the following youtube video with English subtitle.

 Anyway back to the tour…we climbed up the mountain and stopped by Yuki-jinja Shrine that has unique shape of building. Since this shrine hall is dedicated to two deities, it is divided into two parts to enshrine each of them and the center part is used for passing way. Beyond the hall, you can see 600-year-old cedar tree.

This unique building also shows us Japanese beauty in asymmetry. Left side of hall has four pillars but right one only has tree. I don’t know the reason but it delivers the sense of traditional Japanese aesthetics called “Wabi-sabi”.

 On the way to the main hall, we took rest and my guest boy enjoyed attracting with nature. If you lean against an old tree like him, it makes you relaxing and gives you energy. Here Mt. Kurama is the birthplace of the “Reiki” practice, an alternative therapy but most of Japanese doesn’t know it. “Reiki” is popular in overseas rather than in Japan. Actually my guest’s sister is practicing “Reiki”.

 Finally we arrived at the main hall of the temple. In front of the hall, there is special floor called “Kongosho”. We saw some of worshipers standing on it to receive the energy of universe. We also went to underground floor of the main hall and it was so mysterious beyond the description.

 Besides the hall, there is pile of sand representing the vehicle of “Goho-Maoson” who came here from Venus. It looks like UFO…..

Anyway we continued to climb the mountain and then get down to the side of Kifune shrine. 

Exposed cedar roots located in the mountain trail  between Kurama temple and Kufune shrine. It is said that legend samurai Yoshitsune was trained by Tengu around here.  

Picture exhibited in the Kurama station depicting that young Yoshitsune took the sword fighting lesson in the Mt. Kurama.

Public Domain, Link

We also stopped by the Mao-den hall. Here is the place where “Goho-Maoson”  descended to Earth. 

After climbing down the Mt. Kurama, we took lunch at Soba noodle restaurant and headed to Kifune shrine. Since it is the season of “Tanabata” , my guest’s son enjoyed writing his wish on the paper. There were a lot of bamboo trees decorated with colored wish paper.

Tea Ceremony in the hottest day of the year

August.6th was the hottest day of the year. It was wise to avoid walking outside so I guided my guest to Kenninji temple and Fukujuen where you can enjoy tea ceremony experience.


 Before the tea ceremony, we went to Kenninji, one of the oldest Zen temple in the city. Its founder Eisai firstly imported green tea leaves from China and its Hattou lecture hall is surrounded by the hedge of green tea leaves. Also Kenninji holds an old tea house which has very low and narrow entrance called “nijiri-guchi”. It is a device to treat everybody equal because even high social status man has to bend in the moment when passing thorough the entrance.

 My guests got interested in tea ceremony and requested me to go the one in table and chair style so I made reservation at Fukujuen nearby the temple. It was first experience for me to go the chair style ceremony because we usually hold it at tatami mat room. The design of hanging scroll, bowls of tea and accompanied sweet all reflected the sense of summer. Especially I like the transparent design of the sweet that makes me cool.

 As there is a saying in tea ceremony ‘”Ichi-go ichi-e” which means "Treasure every encounter”, the host shows the utmost consideration for the guests. I’d like to practice it also in the guiding activity for good experience of my guests.