Searching for Moss on Mt. Hiei and Mt. Kurama
Completing two of the best hikes in Kyoto
The Temizuya, or purification fountain, before Kurama-Dera Temple.
I was initially apprehensive when my husband suggested returning to Kyoto for a hiking trip. Since our last trip in January of 2021, the effects of over-tourism seemed to be ruining the city we’d once loved, but Taka assured me that the hikes he had in mind would restore my faith in Kyoto’s magic. As it turns out, he was right.
While there were crowds even on the weekdays, the boondocks of Nara admittedly make anything more than five people feel excessive. Nevertheless, the mossy trails with the first twinges of autumn foliage were well worth it, and the excursions to the quiet areas of Kyoto made me nostalgic for our university days there.
Here is a recap of our wonderful three-day hiking trip to Mt. Hiei, Mt. Kurama, and Kibune, as well as all the information you need to know before adding these trails to your itinerary.
Our mountainside arrival
We would be staying at XIV Hiei Rikyu, which couldn’t have been in a better location just down the street from the station. To get there, it took 2.5 hours from our doorstep in Nara, with the final leg in the luxe train cars of the Eizan Electric Railway running between Demachiyanagi, Kibune, and our stop at Yase-Hieizanguchi.
I’d learned from our last trip to come wearing my hiking gear and carrying a full water bladder, because motion sensor faucets are utterly incompatible with hydration. This worked out swimmingly because we were able to drop off our luggage, assemble our kits, and move over to the restaurant next door within ten minutes of our arrival.
Evidently, the unagi and udon restaurant we chose is popular among winged creatures too, because a giant hornet was poking around near our tatami table before I gently ushered it out the window. Sorry, I don’t share my food with anyone, stinger or not.
To my utter delight, two Deaf mothers were signing away at the table on the opposite side of the restaurant. My knowledge of Japanese Sign Language is understandably little as an American Deaf person, but in the end, I was too shy to introduce myself. Still, their kids were hilarious, observing as the eels were being filleted, “The fish isn’t happy to be eaten, but I am happy to eat it!”
Although it wasn’t the best unagi I’ve had, the meal filled our bellies enough for the exciting hike ahead.
Rocking up to Hiei
As another testament to the perfect location of our hotel, the funicular was just a couple blocks down the street. While you can do the full hike up Mt. Hiei from the Tokaido trail on the opposite side, it made more logistical sense for us to ride the cable car halfway up and hike the rest of the way.
Creaking up the hill, the scenery was lacking, but after a few minutes, we touched down, setting off from Cable Hiei Station.
With around 20 hikes under my belt across the Kansai region, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by what was a comparatively easy hike. See, I’m learning more and more about what qualities I like in a hike, and this one had pretty much everything: open views for most of the way, mixed terrain, mossy stones and branches, and plenty to do at the top.
The wide trail allowed Taka and I to converse easily and point out all the sights. He has been here with university friends in the past, but sharing it with him was even better.
Just an hour in, we arrived at Enryaku-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a massively important temple in Buddhism. There are hundreds of buildings to explore in three different areas, but we chose to stick around the To-do area.
Bursts of fall colors popped out in between the altars, making for ample photography options. Everyone was stopping to take photos of the trees and temples together—a wholesome sign of humanity’s shared appreciation for nature’s beauty.
I forget which one, but at one building, we found a fire that hadn’t gone out since Enryaku-ji’s installation in the eighth century. Every step here was back in time.
Then, we continued down to the far side of the complex when we spotted a lake that looked rather familiar. Out of all the places, I found the best views of it from the parking lot of a ryokan across the street.
On the other side of Lake Biwa, I’d studied abroad in the castle town of Hikone. Every weekend during that semester, I’d commute to Kyoto to see my husband at Doshisha University. Five years later, at the top of Mt. Hiei, we were right back where we started.
After getting cleaned up at the hotel and reading some of Kelly Bishop’s memoir, The Third Gilmore Girl, we ventured back to the Sakyo Ward of Kyoto for dinner. The original plan was ramen, but after seeing the line wrapped around the corner, we made a last-minute decision to get Italian at Trattoria Azzurro instead, which ended up being for the best.
I’ve had a lot of Italian in Japan, and this was one of the best mixes of Italian and Japanese cuisine I’ve had to date. We started off with sangria, then the first course of Japanese sweet potato soup with bread for dipping, which was divine. The main course was gorgonzola penne for me and mushroom and ham rigatoni for Taka. I preferred Taka’s, but only because mine could have used some honey to contrast the cheesiness. Finally, we finished off with a chestnut tart.
Buzzing with alcohol and full bellies, the two of us stumbled back home to watch Meryl Streep movie number one of the trip, The Laundromat, in bed before dozing off.
Guided by the maple trees
The next morning, Taka and I boarded the tram to Kurama, this time in a special edition of the Eizan railway car with maple leaf motifs and a line of seats facing the windows on one side as we glided through the infamous maple tree tunnel.
Being the first week of November, it wasn’t peak kouyou yet, so it was mostly a tunnel of green leaves smacking the windows that everyone was clambering to get footage of.
Before long, we found ourselves at the base of Mt. Kurama. Just like yesterday, it would be another short hike with us opting to return home via Kibuneguchi on the opposite side.
A group of purple-hatted preschoolers greeted the new arrivals on the steps of Niomon Gate—the starting point of the day.
The iconic image of Mt. Kurama and Kibune is the rows of orange lanterns that line the stairways. Certainly, we saw many of these around Kurama-dera and Kibune-jinja, and it was even more dazzling in person.
But what I enjoyed even more was all the craved stonework, the morning light illuminating the roots of the cedar trees, the plentiful waterfalls and rivers, the ancient altars, and the moss stretching over everything.
The only part I didn’t like? The thousands of stairs that lay between us and Kibuneguchi below. I don’t mind climbing up stairs, but I generally prefer dirt or stone paths. Going down stairs, however, makes me feel unsteady on my feet, like I am in my everyday life. So, very carefully, I navigated around the people hiking the opposite way to get back on flat ground as soon as possible.
After a peek into Kibune-Jinja, it was time to decide on lunch. Most of the restaurants were either dessert shops or overpriced riverside dining areas, so, under-caffeinated, tired, and hungry as we were a full hour past when we normally eat lunch, we decided to walk the full 25 minutes back to Kibuneguchi Station.
Where did we end up having lunch, you might ask? Seven Eleven, of all places. A row of picnic tables with a view of the river across the street made the perfect outdoor venue for us to scarf down our food.
The rest of the afternoon, we lounged around the hotel, taking advantage of what would likely be our last stay at XIV for a while. Our room had a stunning view of the mountains and the sunset, a giant, Pretty Woman-esque jacuzzi tub, and an electric fireplace that made the room cozy enough that we didn’t want to leave.
That night, we ordered room service pizza at the absurd price of 3000 yen per pie. I hardly use snow crab or kyomizuna herbs on my homemade pizza, but I speak the truth when I say that mine was demonstrably better. Regardless, we poured the welcome champagne and were accompanied by Mrs. Streep once more in Mamma Mia, dancing and singing along to every song like the two kids at heart we are.
After checking out on the final morning, we spent our final hours in Kyoto in the Demachiyanagi area, eating mediocre sandwiches at a local cafe before touring my husband’s old stomping grounds. Again, every step was back into the past for us on this trip.
The view of Lake Biwa from the parking garage.
A shoutout to XIV
This was our third stay in an XIV location, and the customer service was miles ahead of anything else we’d experienced before. The doormen and receptionists always greeted us with a (hopefully) genuine smile and welcome, and the logistics were handled smoothly each time.
None of the rooms had private onsens this time around, just the large baths, which I kept to because I didn’t want to deal with the crowds or crotchety babachans at the public onsen this time around.
The buffet breakfast was alright, but nothing compared to the Western, full-course breakfast at Arima Rikyu or the Italian buffet at the Hakone location. Why the quality of the food varies so much from location to location, I’m not sure, but it’s worth pointing out the poor cost-effectiveness of the food at this particular site. Again, this is a touristy area, so if you’re planning to come during the week, it might be best to go down to Sakyo to find places that are open for a more affordable price.
That being said, the customer service, location, and interior design at this location were my favorites thus far. If you know someone with a membership, I can’t recommend it enough.
My goals for next year are to do more hiking and SUP in Shiga, so perhaps a stay on the Otsu side is in the not-so-distant future!
The view from our hotel room balcony!
Access:
Mt. Hiei: you can access Mt. Hiei from Yase-Hieizanguchi Station along the Eizan Railway. From Nara, take the Yamatoji Line to Tennōji Station, transfer to the Midosuji Line, and get off at Shin Osaka Station. From there, you’ll take the Tokaido Sanyo Special Rapid train to Kyoto Station. Transfer again to the Kintetsu Limited Express towards Kintetsu Tambabashi Station. Get off and walk to the JR Tambabashi Station for the Keihan Main Line to Demachiyanagi, where you’ll take the ekiden to Yase-Hieizanguchi.
The process is the same for Osaka and Kyoto, just with different starting points.
The hike from the Cable Hiei station took us about an hour to the top, with 30 minutes or so of walking around the Enryaku-ji complex before returning to the funicular station halfway down. The hike is extremely beginner-friendly, though be sure to bring your wallet for the cable car and entry fees. You can also take the Sakamoto Cable Car all the way to the top.
Mt. Kurama: you can access Mt. Kurama either from Kibuneguchi Station (the stair side) or Kurama Station (the temple side), both along the Eizan Railway. We spent about three hours here in total, moving along at a slower pace due to tiredness and taking pictures. Again, you’ll have to pay the entry fee, but if you’re hungry afterward, I recommend heading right back home via Kibuneguchi Station to eat somewhere else.
Just like Mt. Hiei, this hike doesn’t require a great amount of fitness, and the railings mean you don’t need any trekking poles. I highly recommend both hikes for getting out into the wilderness of Kyoto.
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