Kifune Shrine in Kyoto, Japan

Located in a wooded gorge between Mounts Kibune and Kurama, the ancient Kifune Shrine is one of the most revered shrines in Kyoto, dedicated to the water god Taka-okami-no-kami and deeply associated with wish-making. Though it is most famed for its photogenic stairway lined with lanterns and autumn foliage, the shrine is steeped in history and folklore, both auspicious and dark. For one, Kifune Shrine is widely considered the birthplace of ema prayer boards, which are found at almost every Shinto shrine across Japan today. Ema, literally meaning “picture-horse,” was once an actual, live hor...