鞍馬寺本殿金堂
Kurama-dera Main Golden Hall
(Honden Kondo)
「本殿金堂」是鞍馬寺充滿靈性與神秘色彩的核心。據說這座主殿坐落於「龍穴」之上——即大地能量匯聚並向上湧動的靈脈要衝。殿內所供奉的並非單一神祇，而是一組被稱為「尊天」的三身一體的神明，被視為宇宙本身的化身：代表月亮與愛之力的千手觀音；代表太陽與光之力的毘沙門天王；以及代表大地靈氣與力量之力的護法魔王尊。
殿前廣場上的鋪路石，排列成交錯的三角形圖案，共同構成了六角星。根據寺院的傳說，這裡正是護法魔王尊降臨塵世之地。廣場中央設有一個名為「金剛床」的三角形石結構。有些訪客會站在這塊石頭上，雙手合十並向天空舉起，相信這裡是汲取宇宙能量的通道；也有人認為根本不應踏足其上。到底如何是好，我並不知道。
守護正殿兩側的並非日本大多數神社寺院門前常見的「狛犬」（獅犬），而是老虎——即「阿吽虎」：一尊張口，一尊閉口，雖沿用了傳統狛犬那種成對守護的佈局，但形象卻截然不同。虎是毗沙門天的神聖坐騎，據說這些守護神獸會護佑前來參拜的信眾。可惜，我沒拍下它們的近照。
殿前設有名為「翔雲臺」的觀景台，視野開闊。天氣晴朗時，可眺望對面的比叡山－這座巍峨的佛教名山，千餘年來一直從東北方向守護著京都。
The Honden Kondō is the spiritual heart of Kurama-dera — and it feels like one. The main hall is said to stand above a ryūketsu, a dragon vein, a point where the earth's energy concentrates and rises. What is enshrined here is not a single deity but a trinity known collectively as Sonten, understood as the embodiment of the universe itself: Senju Kannon, the Thousand-Armed Kannon, representing the moon and the force of love; Bishamonten, representing the sun and the force of light; and Gohō Maoson, the guardian demon king, representing the energy of the earth and the force of power.
In the plaza before the hall, the paving stones are laid out in a pattern of interlocking triangles that together form a six-pointed star. This, according to temple tradition, is the spot where Gohō Maoson descended to earth. At the centre sits a triangular stone formation called the Kongōshō. Some visitors press their palms together and raise them toward the sky while standing on it, believing it to be a point through which the energy of the universe can be absorbed. Others hold that one should not step on it at all. I was not sure which view is true.
The guardian figures flanking the main hall are not the lion-dogs — komainu — that stand before most Japanese shrines and temples. Here, they are tigers: the a-un tora, one with mouth open, one with mouth closed, in the same paired formation as the traditional komainu but rendered in a very different form. The tiger is Bishamonten's sacred mount, and it is said that these guardian beasts watch over those who come to worship. I did not manage a close photograph of them.
In front of the hall, a viewing platform called Shōundai opens up the sky. On a clear day, you can see across to Mount Hiei — the great Buddhist mountain that has watched over Kyoto from the northeast for more than a thousand years.
光明心殿 Komyoshin-den
光明心殿位於本殿西側，是一座較小的神殿，供奉護法魔王尊——「尊天」三尊之一，作為守護神，掌管大地深處的能量。
Just to the west of the main hall stands Komyōshinden, a smaller sanctuary dedicated to Gohō Maoson — the guardian demon king, the third figure of the Sonten trinity, whose domain is the deep energy of the earth.
本坊金剛壽命院與瑞風庭
Honbō Kongōjumyōin & the Zuifūtei Garden
再走過去便是本坊。本坊（正式名稱為「金剛壽命院」）是鞍馬寺的行政中心，也是鞍馬寺實際運作的核心樞紐，有別於那些有舉行祭祀典禮功能的空間。其前方設有「瑞風亭」，這是一處枯山水庭園；園內利用石塊與耙制的砂礫，呈現了護法魔王尊從金星降臨鞍馬山的場景——這一傳說正是該寺宇宙觀的基石。
這座庭院分為南北兩區。南側庭院透過石塊的佈局與精心修剪的綠籬，勾勒出山體起伏的輪廓，以此隱喻「護法魔王尊」的存在。北側庭院中堆疊的白砂礫則象徵著載他降臨此地的「天車」。
A little further on lies the Honbō. The Honbō, formally known as Kongōjumyōin, serves as the administrative centre of Kurama-dera — the practical heart of the institution, set apart from its more ceremonial spaces. In front of it lies the Zuifūtei, a karesansui dry garden that depicts, in stone and raked gravel, the moment Gohō Maoson descended to Mount Kurama from the planet Venus — an event that sits at the foundation of the temple's cosmology.
The garden is divided into two sections. The southern courtyard uses arrangements of stone and carefully clipped hedgerows to suggest the undulating ridgelines of the mountain itself, with Gohō Maoson understood as a presence within them. In the northern courtyard, mounded white gravel represents the celestial chariot — the tensha — that carried him here.
奧之院參道－通往內殿的參拜道
Okunoin Sandō－The Inner Sanctuary Path
「奧之院參道」全長約 1.5 公里，蜿蜒於鞍馬寺與貴船神社之間的山林間。這是一條悠閒的林間小徑，穿梭於高大密集的雪杉林中。沿途散佈著幾處歷史遺跡；整條步道透著一種日本林間小徑特有的寧靜──一種遠離塵囂的超然感。部分路段頗為陡峭吃力，但我覺得走這段路絕對值得。
The Okunoin Sandō runs for about 1.5 kilometres through the mountains between Kurama-dera and Kifune Shrine — a forest path, narrow and unhurried, threading through cedar trees that grow tall and dense. There are historical sites along the way, and the trail is quiet in the way that forest paths in Japan so often are: not silent exactly, but removed. Some stretches are steep enough to ask something of your legs. I found it more than worth the effort.
冬柏亭 Tohakutei
「冬柏亭」是日本著名女詩人與謝野晶子的舊居，這座書齋原本位於東京都內，後來被移築至鞍馬山中。她曾在這裡居住、起居並進行文學創作。「冬柏」在日文意指山茶花。
Tohakutei is the former residence of the renowned Japanese poet Akiko Yosano. Originally located in Tokyo, the structure was later relocated to Mount Kurama. She lived and engaged in literary creation here. In Japanese, "Tsubaki" refers to the camellia flower.
屏風坂地藏堂 Byobuzaka Jizo Hall,
不動堂 Sojogadani Fudo-do Temple
屏風坂地藏堂（又稱革堂地藏）因山勢曲折險峻如屏風而得名。「不動堂」（僧正穀不動堂）是傳說中源義經（幼名牛若丸）向鞍馬天狗學習兵法的地方。
Byobuzaka Jizo Hall (also known as Jizō) derives its name from the terrain, where the mountain slopes are winding and precipitous, resembling a folding screen. The Sojogadani Fudo-do Temple (Sojo-ga-dani Fudo-do) is the place where, according to legend, Minamoto no Yoshitsune (whose childhood name was Ushiwakamaru) learned the art of war from the Kurama Tengu.
鈴緒/鈴繩 Bell Cord - Suzuo
從上面兩張照片可看到兩座神殿的殿前都懸掛著一條繩索，連接著一枚青銅或黃銅材質的鈴鐺（稱為「本坪鈴」）。這根繩索被稱為「鈴緒」（suzuo），蘊含著深層的象徵意義──人們相信它連結著神佛所在的聖域與凡人的塵世。
其目的是讓信徒敲響鐘聲；讓那清脆悅耳的鐘聲能夠喚醒神靈、驅除邪祟、淨化週邊環境，並洗滌參拜者的身心。
搖鈴是正式參拜儀式的一部分。具體步驟如下：向神明輕輕點頭鞠躬；雙手握住鈴繩，用力搖動一至兩次；將奉納金(香油錢)靜靜投入箱內；深深鞠躬兩次；在胸前拍手兩次，隨後合掌，在心中向神明默默祈禱；最後，再次深深鞠躬。
As seen in the two photos above, both shrine halls have a rope hanging in front, connected to a bronze or brass bell (本坪鈴, honpei-rei). This rope is called the suzuo (鈴緒/鈴繩, bell cord), and it carries a deeper symbolic meaning — it is believed to connect the divine world of gods and buddhas with the human realm.
Its purpose is to allow worshippers to ring the bell, whose clear and pleasant sound awakens the deity, drives away evil spirits, purifies the surrounding area, and cleanses the mind and heart of the visitor.
Ringing the bell is part of the formal worship ritual. The steps are performed in this order: gently bow your head toward the deity; grip the bell cord with both hands and shake it one to two times firmly; quietly place your offering money into the box; bow deeply twice; clap your hands twice in front of your chest, then press your palms together and offer a silent prayer to the deity in your heart; and finally, bow deeply one last time.
木之根道 Tree Root Path - Kino-ne Michi
這是奧之院參道沿途最負盛名的自然奇觀。由於此處的地基是堅硬的岩盤地質，高聳的雪松無法將根係向下延伸，迫使根部在地面上向四周蔓延、盤根錯節，交織出令人著迷的景象，彷彿讓人置身於另一個世界。
傳說這裡正是年輕的源義經在天狗的指導下習武的地方。
This is the most celebrated natural wonder along the shrine's approach path. Because the ground here sits on solid bedrock, the towering cedar trees are unable to push their roots downward — forcing them to spread and twist across the surface instead, creating a mesmerizing tangle that feels like stepping into another world.
According to legend, this is the very place where the young Minamoto no Yoshitsune trained in martial arts under the guidance of the Tengu, the mythical mountain spirits of Japanese folklore.
爬越過高高低低的山路
Climbing up and down the rugged mountain trail
奧之院魔王殿 Okunoin Maōden
這是奧之院參道沿途最著名的地標之一。這裡供奉著「護法魔王尊」；據信，這位神靈是來自金星的大地精靈，於 650 萬年前降臨地球。神殿建於一塊巨大的岩石之上，周圍瀰漫著一種深邃而神聖的氛圍。
這個地點被視為一處強大的「能量場」——即充滿強烈靈性能量之所——並被認為與靈氣療法（Reiki）的發源地有著深厚的淵源；靈氣療法是一種源自日本、旨在傳導宇宙生命能量的療癒理念及實踐。
This is one of the most celebrated landmarks along the Okunoin approach path. It enshrines the "護法魔王尊" (Gohō Māson) — the Guardian Demon King, believed to be a great spirit of the earth who descended to our planet from Venus 6.5 million years ago. The shrine hall is built upon a massive rock, and the atmosphere around it feels deeply mysterious and sacred.
This site is regarded as a powerful Power Spot (能量場) — a place of intense spiritual energy — and is said to have a profound connection with the birthplace of Reiki (靈氣療法), the Japanese healing practice that channels universal life energy.
到山腳下的路途中
On the way down to the foot of the mountain
到貴船神社的路上
On the way to Kifune Shrine
出了鞍馬寺西門，再越過奧之院橋，便到了通往貴船神社的道路——即官方名為「京都府道361號上黑田貴船線」的路。這條山區道路狹窄且彎曲陡峭，我們小心翼翼的一邊注意路上行駛的車子，一邊欣賞沿途的風景。貴船川是鴨川的源頭，它沿著道路流淌，路邊及河岸邊分佈著許多旅館、餐廳和各類小店。
夏季（5 月 1 日至 9 月底），貴船（Kibune）以其獨特的「川床」餐飲體驗而聞名。「川床」指架設在河面上的納涼平台，食客在此用餐時，腳下便是潺潺流淌的河水，帶來陣陣清涼。這裡的環境與美食相得益彰，共同構成了絕佳的用餐體驗——在這裏可以享用到奢華的京都風味懷石料理，其中包括鹽烤香魚、海鰻涮涮鍋以及流水素麵（nagashi sōmen）等特色佳餚。
不過，一聽到「流水素面」這幾個字，我們便心照不宣地對視一眼，默默走開，打退堂鼓了。以前在九州，我們曾費了一番周折去嚐這道名菜——結果發現，雖然在水槽裡撈麵吃確實充滿樂趣，但這冷面本身的味道卻實在不合我們的口味。
我們直接略過餐廳，徑直前往貴船神社。
Leaving through the west gate of Kurama-dera Temple and crossing the Okunoin Bridge, we arrived at the road officially known as "Kyoto Prefectural Route 361, Kamikuroda-Kibune Line," which leads to Kibune Shrine. This narrow mountain road winds and climbs steeply, so we made our way carefully, keeping an eye on passing cars while taking in the scenery along the way. Running beside the road is the Kibune River, the source of the Kamo River, and lining both the road and the riverbank are a number of inns, restaurants, and small shops.
During summer (May 1 through the end of September), Kibune is famous for its kawadoko dining experience. Kawadoko (川床) are raised platforms built directly over the river, where guests dine in the cool, refreshing embrace of the flowing water beneath them. The setting is as much a part of the meal as the food itself — a luxurious Kyoto-style kaiseki menu featuring dishes such as salt-grilled sweetfish (ayu), sea eel shabu-shabu, and nagashi sōmen (flowing noodles).
The moment we heard "flowing noodles," though, we exchanged a knowing look and quietly moved on. Back in Kyushu, we had once gone to considerable trouble to try this famous dish — only to discover that while the novelty of catching noodles in a water chute is genuinely fun, the cold noodles themselves were simply not to our taste.
We skipped the restaurants entirely and headed straight to Kifune Shrine.
⛩ Stay tuned for more of our Kyoto, Japan adventures!
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