Eizan Electric Railway is a private company that runs a small railway network in north-eastern Kyoto. The railway is called Eizan Dentetsu in Japanese but this is often shortened to just Eiden. So whether people talk about the Eizan Railway or the Eiden Railway, they are talking about the same thing.
Sightseeing Train HIEI runs from Demachiyanagi to Yase-Hieizanguchi Station
There are actually two Eizan Lines that run north from Demachiyanagi Station: the Eizan Main Line and the Kurama Line. These separate from each other at Takaragaike Station. The Eizan Main Line goes on to Yase-Hieizanguchi Station at the base of Mount Hiei, and the Kurama Line continues on to the scenic villages of Kibune and Kurama.
The Eizan Electric Railway Demachiyanagi Station
Access
As the Eizan Railway is located in the north-east of Kyoto, it does not connect directly with Kyoto Station. Most people access it via the Keihan Main Line at Demachiyanagi. From Kyoto Station, a practical train route is to take the JR Nara Line to Tofukuji and then transfer to the Keihan Main Line for Demachiyanagi. It is also possible to travel from Kyoto Station toward Demachiyanagi by Kyoto Bus 17 or Kyoto City Bus 4 and 7. City Bus journeys in the flat-fare zone cost 230 yen. Use Arukumachi KYOTO to check routes, fares, and travel times before you go.
Key Destinations
A free PDF from the official Eizan website has information about the many sites along the Eizan Line that you might want to visit. Below are the stations you are most likely to use.
Demachiyanagi Station
This is the transfer station between the Eizan Railway and the Keihan Main Line. This station is also convenient for visiting the primeval forest of Tadasu-no-Mori and Shimogamo Shrine – a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Demachiyanagi Station sign
Shugakuin Station
This station is convenient for the beautiful gardens and palace buildings of Shugakuin Imperial Villa. To visit this site you must book a tour through the Imperial Household Agency. Tours are staff-guided and advance applications are required because capacity is limited. It is also possible to hike up Mount Hiei from Shugakuin.
Takaragaike Station
Here the Eizan Main Line and the Kurama Line separate. This station is also convenient for the popular recreation spot, Takaragaike Park.
Yase-Hieizanguchi Station
This is the access point for Mount Hiei and at its summit the UNESCO World Heritage Site Enryakuji Temple. From here you transfer to the Eizan Cable Car, and then the Eizan Ropeway, to reach the summit.
Eizan Electric Railway – Yase-Hieizanguchi Station
Kibuneguchi Station
Kibuneguchi is the Eizan rail stop for Kibune, a beautiful mountain village notable for Kifune Shrine and for the restaurants that serve meals on raised platforms above the Kibune river. Most visitors transfer at Kibuneguchi to Kyoto Bus 33, get off at Kibune, and then walk about 5 minutes to Kifune Shrine. It is also possible to walk from Kibuneguchi Station, but the route is about 30 minutes and 2 km. Many people like to hike from Kibune over Kurama Mountain to Kurama Temple. The local scenery is beautiful at all times but particularly stunning in the fall foliage season.
Kurama Station
Kurama is famous for the views from its mountain-top temple and for the wooded walking route over Mount Kurama toward Kibune.
A train bound for Kurama
Visiting Mount Hiei
A common rail route to Mount Hiei from Kyoto is to take the Eizan Main Line to Yase-Hieizanguchi Station and then transfer to the Eizan Cable Car and Eizan Ropeway.
A sign pointing to Yase-Hieizanguchi Station on the way from Eizan Cable Car
The Eizan Cable Car and Eizan Ropeway are suspended in winter, so check operating days before planning this route. The walk from Yase-Hieizanguchi Station to Cable Yase Station takes about 5 minutes. The cable car ride takes 9 minutes, the transfer from the cable car to the ropeway takes about 1 minute, and the ropeway ride takes 3 minutes. The cable car ride is notable as the steepest ascent by cable in Japan. Though they are also named “Eizan,” the Cable Car and Ropeway are actually run by Keifuku Electric Railroad, which is a separate company. These are the fares for the Cable Car and Ropeway:
For more information about the Eizan route to the summit of Mount Hiei, see the Keifuku Electric Railroad timetable and route guide. For fare details, see the Keifuku fare page.
Alternative routes to and from the summit of Mount Hiei include by bus and by the Sakamoto Cable Car from Otsu City on the Shiga side of the mountain. The Sakamoto Cable Car is notable as Japan’s longest 2,025-meter cable-car route, and the ride takes about 11 minutes. If you ascend by the Eizan route and then descend on the Sakamoto side, you can include a trip to Lake Biwa in your journey. You can find English information about the Sakamoto Cable Car on the official website. If you wish to travel by bus, Kyoto Bus route 51 provides seasonal service toward Mount Hiei and Enryakuji from Kyoto Station and Keihan Demachiyanagi. The service runs from the spring equinox to the first Sunday in December and is suspended in winter. A Kyoto Station to Hieizancho fare is 840 yen. Those wishing to hike up Mount Hiei can find the beginning of the trail at Shugakuin. You can download a free PDF English guide to Enryakuji Temple at the temple’s official website.
The Maple Leaf Tunnel
Between Ichihara and Ninose Stations on the Kurama Line, trains pass through the Maple Leaf Tunnel, a roughly 250-meter stretch lined with about 280 maple trees. The green leaves are attractive from late April into autumn, while the autumn colors usually appear in November. Seasonal evening illuminations are sometimes held, so check Eizan notices before planning around night views.
Ticket gates at Demachiyanagi
Tickets and Timetables
At Demachiyanagi Station you can buy your tickets at the ticket machine or ticket office and proceed through the gates as normal. However, most of the other stations en route are unmanned. At unmanned stations, passengers without an IC card should take a boarding-station certificate before boarding. IC card users should touch the station reader before boarding. Where one-man operation is in effect, board from the rear door and exit at the front, paying the fare or touching out when you get off. At some busy stations, station staff handle fare collection.
Timetables and station maps for the Eizan Railway are available from the official Eizan Railway website. For route searches across Kyoto, including bus and rail transfer options, use Arukumachi KYOTO.
Train Car Interior
Discount Tickets
The Eizan Electric Railway is owned by Keihan Holdings. As a private company it is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass. However, discount tickets are available from Eizan Railway. The Eizan 1-Day Ticket “Ee Kippu” costs 1,200 yen for adults and 600 yen for children and covers all Eizan Railway lines. The Subway & Eiden Kurama/Kibune Day Ticket costs 2,100 yen for adults during the 1-Apr-2026 to 31-Mar-2027 sale period, and does not include buses. Check the Eizan Railway Value Tickets page before you travel.
Nationwide interoperable IC cards, including ICOCA, Suica, PASMO and PiTaPa, are accepted for payment on the Eizan Electric Railway.
You can download free route maps with information about fares and touring on a PDF from the official Eizan website.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 15-Jun-2026.
