Yuki-jinja

Yuki Shrine sits partway up the forested trail to Kurama-dera in northern Kyoto, having been relocated here from the imperial palace in 940 AD to serve as a spiritual guardian against misfortune. The shrine grounds are shaded by towering cryptomeria cedars, some over 800 years old, creating an atmosphere of deep tranquility. Its most famous event is the Kurama Fire Festival held every October 22nd, when enormous flaming torches are carried through the narrow streets of Kurama village in a spectacle that dates back over a thousand years. The split-level worship hall, built into the mountainside in the rare divided style, is itself a designated cultural property worth admiring up close.