Kurama: a half-day trip from Kyoto

A walk in the woods on the hills behind the temple

Peter Sidell Jan 05, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>The train from Demachiyanagi to Kurama is quite distinctive</p>

<p>This is the kind of view you get on the walk up</p>

<p>First, lunch: a hearty bowl of oyakodon, chicken and egg on rice</p>

<p>The Buddhist Goddess of Mercy welcomes you to Kurama temple</p>

<p>It's a good way up these steps from the entrance to the main temple buildings</p>

<p>The view across the hills from the temple</p>

<p>One of the temple's guardian lions</p>

<p>The temple buildings live in harmony with their natural surroundings</p>

<p>The forest behind the temple is denser and in places the floor is covered with exposed roots</p>

<p>There are some isolated buildings dotted among the trees</p>

<p>Occasionally you'll find a small shrine in a clearing</p>

About half an hour north of Kyoto on the train, Kurama is a great place to get out of the city for a half day. Walk past the huge goblin's head at Kurama station and you come to a handful of shops and cafes, then the entrance to the temple, from which it's an undemanding walk up to the main buildings.

On the way up and from the top, you'll be afforded a beautiful view of the hills nearby, even better in fall when the leaves are turning. Then if you want, you can walk into the atmospheric forest behind the temple, where you'll find floors of exposed roots and solitary shrines, moody and austere.

Peter Sidell @peter.sidell

I came to Japan from Manchester, England in 2003, and have travelled a lot since then, around Japan and in Asia. When I'm not working, I write satire and perform stand-up comedy in and around Tokyo. Check YouTube for a taste.