Kifunejinja Shrine

Kifune Shrine enshrines the god of water, and rites to call rain or to stop it have been performed here since early times. It is also known as a shrine of romantic ties: the poet Izumi Shikibu is said to have prayed here and won back her husband's affection. Sacred water wells up from the stone wall in front of the main hall — a mountain spring, mildly alkaline and rich in minerals and calcium. The shrine's fortune slips are drawn blank and read by floating them on that water, where the characters rise to the surface, which makes the drawing itself part of the visit.