Kurama-dera

Kurama-dera was founded in 770 AD and sits on the sacred Mt. Kurama in northern Kyoto. The temple is famed as the place where the legendary warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune (then called Ushiwakamaru) trained in martial arts with the tengu spirits as a child. Rather than conventional Buddhism, the temple practices its own syncretic faith centered on Sonten, a cosmic life force believed to emanate from the mountain. The main hall at the mountaintop offers sweeping views of the northern Kyoto mountains. The highlight for most visitors is the roughly 1.5-kilometer mountain trail connecting Kurama to the Kifune area on the other side, passing through towering cedar forests, moss-covered root paths (kibune), and the atmospheric Mao-den hall. A cable car covers the first steep section for those who prefer a shorter climb. The Kurama Fire Festival (Kurama no Hi Matsuri) on October 22nd is one of Kyoto's most dramatic festivals, with enormous torches carried through the village streets at night.