Instead of taking the usual route from Kurama to Kibune, we decided to go the other way around following the suggestion of Jason C on tripadvisor.com :
We reached Kibuneguchi around 8:40am. We were initially planning to walk up to Kibune Shrine but decided to take the bus instead. It turned out to be a good decision because as suggested – save energy for the hike.
If you’re not keen in exploring the entire Kifune Shrine, you can start the hike to Mt. Kurama after visiting the main shrine/getting your fortune telling.
Too bad, we missed the restaurant platforms by the river. But nevertheless, the restaurant serve quite delicious meals. We had our meal at Torijaya before starting the hike to Mt. Kurama.
AloJapan.com