Kibune is a quaint village nestled in a narrow valley in the North of Kyoto. Several traditional ryokan and restaurants line the narrow street that runs parallel to the river. Kibune is famous for its shrine dedicated to the Shinto diety of water and rain and for “kawadoko”, al fresco dining on the platforms built on the river from June to September. It’s an amazing experience eating delicious traditional food seated on tatami mats only a few centimeters above the flowing river water. Kibune is also the starting/finishing point of one of the most accessible hikes in the Kyoto area. It takes about an hour to reach the mysterious Kurama temple and another half an hour to descent to Kurama village.
