Yamashina, Daigo area, Kyoto sightseeing route, Japan

Enjoy the scenery of the four seasons around the Yamashina area and Yamashina Canal, and visit the place related to “Chushingura” Oishi built-in assistant. Yamashina, located on the east side of Kyoto City, beyond Kujoyama, is a small basin surrounded by mountains on three sides, and has an elongated shape from north to south. Along the Yamashina Canal on the north side of Yamashina Station, there is a walking path where you can walk while gazing at the greenery of the mountains and the nature of the waterside. Bishamon-do Temple, which stands in Yamate, is famous for its weeping cherry blossoms and autumn leaves, and Sorinin is famous for its beautiful autumn leaves. In spring and autumn, it is crowded with many people along with a walk in the water. In addition, Yamashina is a place where Oishi Yoshio, known as “Chushingura,” retired before his death. History fans also visit, such as Iwaya-ji Temple, which is said to be the site of the quiet residence of the built-in assistant, and Oishi Shrine, which enshrines the built-in assistant.

He loves seasonal flowers such as the Daigo area, plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, and Towaka, and thinks of historical people such as Ono no Komachi, Emperor Go-Daigo, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. At Yamashina Station, which is one station from JR Kyoto Station, transfer to the Tozai Subway Line for about 10 minutes. After getting off Daigo Station and walking east in the residential area, the main gate that you can see along the old Nara Highway is Daigoji Temple, which is designated as a World Heritage Site.

It is also known that Toyotomi Hideyoshi performed gorgeous cherry blossom viewing, and even now in spring, weeping cherry blossoms, Yoshino cherry blossoms, wild cherry blossoms, double cherry blossoms, etc. are in full bloom and are crowded with cherry blossom viewing visitors. If you go further north on the old Nara Highway from Daigoji Temple, you will find Zuishinin, which is related to Ono no Komachi, which is famous for its plum blossoms. If you walk west from here and cross the Yamashina River, you will find Kajuji Temple, which is famous for Towaka and water lilies, and is the wish of Emperor Daigo. You can take a walk while thinking about the historical people by loving the seasonal flowers.

Yamashina Ward is one of the 11 administrative districts that make up Kyoto City. The ward covers the northern part of the Yamashina basin on the east side of Kyoto City and the surrounding mountains. This section also describes Yamashina-cho, Uji-gun, which once existed in the same area, and Yamashina-mura, which was the name of the town before the town system. It is separated from the Kyoto basin by Higashiyama and from the Ohmi basin by Mt. Otowa and Mt. Daigo (Mt. Kasatori). It has long been a major transportation hub connecting Kyoto and Togoku.

It used to be a rural village on the border with Shiga prefecture, but now it has become a bed town in downtown Kyoto and Osaka, and there are many immigrants from other areas. The eastern side borders Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, and has strong ties with Otsu. In addition, the south side is in contact with the Daigo district of Fushimi Ward, forming the same living area and economic area as Yamashina Ward. It is said that the connection between Yamashina Ward and the Daigo district is deeper than the connection between the center of Fushimi Ward and the Daigo district.

Yamashina Station is a station of West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau (Kyoto Municipal Subway) located in Anshu Kita Yashiki-cho and Anshu Minami Yashiki-cho, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture. The Kyoto Municipal Subway Tozai Line runs into the station of the Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau, and the station number is T07. JR stations are included in the ICOCA, subway stations are included in the areas where PiTaPa (Surutto KANSAI Council) and Surutto KANSAI compatible cards and Trafica Kyo cards are used, and each card is compatible with each other. Keihan Yamashina Station on the Keihan Electric Railway (Keihan) Keihan Line (Otsu Line) is located between the two stations on the north and south sides.

The Tokaido Main Line and Kosei Line run into JR West stations, and the Tokaido Main Line is the affiliation line. The Kosei Line starts at this station and has a 0-kilometre post, but on the operating system, all trains run to Kyoto Station or west via the Tokaido Main Line. It belongs to the Urban Network Area, and the Tokaido Main Line is included in the line nickname setting section of the “Biwako Line”. It also belongs to the “Kyoto City” area in the specific metropolitan area system. The station numbers are JR-A30 on the Tokaido Main Line (Biwako Line) and JR-B30 on the Kosei Line.

Tourist attractions

Daigoji Temple
Daigoji is a temple of the Shingon sect Daigo sect headquarter in Daigo Higashioji-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto. The mountain number is called Daigoyama (also known as Miyukiyama), and the principal image is Yakushi Nyorai. Juntei Hall of Kamigogo is the 11th temple of Kannon Pilgrimage in Saigoku, and its principal image is Juntei Kannon Bodhisattva. It has a vast precinct of more than 2 million tsubo on Mt. Daigo (Mt. Kasatori), which extends to the southeast of the city of Kyoto, and holds about 150,000 temple treasures including national treasures and important cultural properties. It is also known as the place where Toyotomi Hideyoshi performed “Daigo no Hanami”.

It is registered as a World Heritage Site as a cultural property of the ancient capital of Kyoto. In the 16th year of Jōgan (874) in the early Heian period, Shobo, a grand pupil of Kobo Daishi Kukai, opened the mountain with Cundi Kannon and Nyoirin Kannon at the summit of Mt. We named it “Daigoyama”. Daigo is a dairy product that appears as a metaphor for precious teachings in Buddhist scriptures such as “Daigotsukei”. In the 18th year of Jōgan (876), Juntei Hall and Nyoirinji Temple were erected by Shobo.

Daigoji Temple has developed as a sacred place for many trainees, centering on the deep mountain area of ​​the summit of Daigoji (Kamidaigo). Later, Emperor Daigo made Daigoji his own prayer temple and gave him generous asylum, and in Engi 7 (907), the Yakushido was built at the request of Emperor Daigo. Due to its overwhelming financial strength, the Shakado (Kondo) was built at the request of Emperor Daigo in the 4th year of extension (926), and the large cathedral “Shimo Daigo” was established and developed on the vast flat land at the foot of Mt. Daigo.

It was very prosperous, with successive lords being selected from the ruins of the Daigomon of the Rijinin, Sanboin (Abhishekain), Kongoohin (currently Ichigonji), Muryokoin, and Houonin. After that, Shimo Daigo was devastated by the Onin War during the Muromachi period, leaving only the five-storied pagoda. However, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi decided that the cherry blossom viewing would be held at Daigoji Temple, Hideyoshi revived the Sanbo-in Temple, and the cathedral began to be reconstructed. It was conducted.

Subsequently, Toyotomi Hideyori maintained the cathedral, and in 1600, the relocation work of the Kondo, which had been carried out since the time of Hideyoshi, was completed, and in 1605, the Nishidaimon was rebuilt. In the 11th year of Keicho (1606), the Nyoirin-do, Kaizan-do, and Godai-do (which do not exist) were rebuilt. During the abolition of Buddha in the Meiji era, many temples were abandoned and the temple treasures were washed away, and Daigoji protected the temple treasures well and survived the rough waves of the times.

In 1935 (Showa 10), the Reihokan was opened. In August 1939 (Showa 14), a forest fire that struck Kamigo was burned down in a short time, and Juntei Hall, the 11th temple of Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, was burned down, but in May 1968 (Showa 43). Juntei Hall was rebuilt. In January 1995, the plaster on the five-storied pagoda and Kondo was peeled off due to the effects of the Hyogo-ken Nanbu Earthquake (Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake). In September 1997, at the request of Emperor Suzaku, it was built as Houka Sanmai-do in Shimo Daigo in 949, and the temple that was burnt down later was erected as Shinyo Sanmai-ya-do. On August 24, 2008, a fire caused by a lightning strike burned down Juntei Hall in Kamigogo. Currently, the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage Hall of Juntei Hall, which was burnt down, has been temporarily moved to Shimo Daigo’s Kannon Hall.

Shimo Daigo
A gorgeous large cathedral spreads in contrast to the upper gods, centering on the Kondo and Sanboin where the statue of Yakushi Nyorai, the principal idol, is enshrined. It was almost completely burned down by the Onin War, and after that it was repeatedly burned down and rebuilt, but the five-storied pagoda remains as it was when it was first built. The mural painting inside the five-storied pagoda is also designated as a national treasure, and the Kukai statue in the mural painting is the oldest surviving portrait of the same person.

Kamigogo
For a long time, the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage No. 11 was known as the steepest temple in Saigoku. Since there used to be a women’s barrier at the entrance, a women’s hall is placed, and from there you enter the steep mountains. The national treasure Yakushido, which remains as it was in the Heian period, the Kiyotaki Gongen Shrine, which is the guardian deity of Daigoji Temple, the ruins of Juntei Hall, and the Five Great Halls are lined up. The famous “Daigosui” still springs up in Kamigoji, and the summit of Daigoyama (altitude 450m) is lined with Nyoirinji and Kaisando. On the way from the summit to Mt. Kasatori, there is Oku-no-in.

Kyoto Tobu Cultural Hall
As a base for cultural activities in the eastern region, it is a facility that can be used for performances such as music, drama, dance, and other cultural events, as well as training, training, and conferences. The Eastern Cultural Hall is the first regional cultural hall in Kyoto City. Opened in April 1987.

Kyoto City Hino Outdoor Activity Center
A facility for various citizens’ groups involved in the development of school education, including schools, to carry out sports activities and outdoor activities such as cooking rice in abundant nature.

Famous places and historic sites

Sanboin
The Sanboin Garden, which has become a national special historic site and a special scenic spot, is a garden that Toyotomi Hideyoshi designed himself for the “Daigo no Hanami” in 1598, and the center of the garden has been in history since the Muromachi period. Hideyoshi brought in the “Fujito stone, a famous stone in the world” that was inherited by those in power. Today, it is enshrined as the “Sanson-gumi”, which represents the Amitabha triad. The “Taiko weeping cherry tree”, which is over 160 years old and is located in front of the main entrance of Sanbo-in, is a model of the masterpiece “Daigo” by Togyu ​​Okumura. In the southeast, the cloned cherry blossoms, which succeeded in flowering for the first time in the world in 2004, are planted.

Zuishinin
Large and small tsubo-niwa are arranged in the building of Zuishinin connected by the corridor, and moss, Satsuki, and Ishikusuhana add color. The atmosphere of the stonework of the waterfall is also tasteful. It is a place related to Ono no Komachi.

Kajuji Temple
Juniperus procumbens of the Cupressaceae family in the front yard of Kajuji Shoin. It has the property of crawling the ground horizontally (grape), and the branches are always well-developed, and at the base of the branches, it can be seen to be enlarged like a trunk. The garden of Kajuji is a pond-style garden centered around Himuroike. A pond decorated with lotus and iris flowers, and the precincts where azaleas and maples compete for beauty from time to time. Kajuji-shaped lanterns and shell-shaped chozubachi are also famous. A “scenic spot” garden designated by Kyoto City. Kanshuji Kanko Farm is jointly run by 6 farmers. You can enjoy fresh taste from spring to autumn, such as grape picking from August to September and potato digging from September to October. Bamboo shoots are sold directly in spring.

Kankikoji Temple
Kankikoji Temple is the head temple of the Rojo school, which is called the Rojo Dojo “Purple Moss Mountain Kawarain”. Originally located in Fushita Hachiman, it was called Zendouji, and the Shokai, which is said to be the immediate family of Ippen, was founded. In the first year of Shoan (1299), with the patronage of Kujo Kampaku Tadashi, he moved to the site of Minamoto no Toru’s official residence in Kyoto’s Rojogawara and named it “Rokujo Dojo Kawarain Kokikoji”. In addition, the statue of Sugawara no Michizane will be enshrined in the precincts as a guardian of the nearby company, Sugawara no Michizane. After that, it moved to Takatsuji Karasuma and Shijo Kyogoku, but due to the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the Meiji era, the shrine in the precincts became independent and became the current Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine. It merged with Hokokuji Temple in Gojo, Higashiyama in 1890 and moved its own base here. It is said that the main hall belongs to “Hokkokuji (prefectural cultural property)” and was built for the second generation comfort of Toyotomi Hideyori’s mother, Yodo-kun.

Konchiin
The front yard of Konchi-in Temple is famous as “Tsurukame no Niwa” and was made by Kobori Enshu. Unusually dynamic and gorgeous for a Zen temple. Expressing the appearance of crane turtles facing each other in the garden. The white sand on the front symbolizes the treasure ship and at the same time represents the ocean. Stones that represent Gunsenjima are scattered between Tsurushima and Kameshima, and the head and shoulders stone group that represents the Horai mountain range is placed on the front cliff behind it. It is a Horai-style dry landscape garden that is very well-established as a garden for the celebration of the people’s Mansei.

Shimizu Yaki housing complex
Due to the urbanization around Higashiyama and Gojozaka, a group relocated in 1962 (Showa 37) and formed a new industrial park with a total land area of ​​8.25 hectares. Kiyomizu ware and wholesalers are lined up to preserve the tradition of Kiyomizu ware. They also hold workshop tours and pottery classes, and sell them on the spot. The pottery festival is held on the third weekend of October every year, and it is very lively. 200 meters from Keihan Bus Kawada.

Emperor Tenchi Yamashina Mausoleum (Tumulus of the Imperial Mausoleum)
An old burial mound of Emperor Tenji (Prince of the Middle and Large Brothers), who is famous as a person who achieved the Taika Reform with Kamatari. It is from the end of the Kofun period and has a regular octagonal shape. According to one theory, Emperor Tenji went hunting in the Yamashina Forest and became unknown, and a tomb was built at the place where the shoes were found. The area covered with greenery in the mountains has a quiet and sacred atmosphere. There is a straight road to the worship place. The sundial on the left side of the entrance was made from the fact that Emperor Tenji made the first water clock in Japan.

Ruins of the abandoned temple
The ruins of an ancient temple. It was founded in the Hakuho period from the latter half of the 7th century to the 8th century. There are the Yamashina Seisha theory of Fujiwara no Kamatari and the Uji temple theory of Mr. Otaku. 1958 (Showa 33) Excavation survey was conducted at the construction of the Meishin Expressway, and the remains of four buildings were detected. Estimated to be the auditorium, Kondo, Nakamon, and South Gate. After the burning, the small shrine was rebuilt in the latter half of the Heian period, but it is no longer there.

Minami Dono Historic Site Kosho-ji Temple
Founded to the east of Yamashina Honganji as a retreat for Rennyo Shonin. It was surrounded by moats and earthworks to prevent intruders, but it was burnt down along with Yamashina Honganji. Currently, the site of Minami Dono is designated as a national historic site.

Ogurisu Highway
3 km from Yamanoshita, Momoyama-cho, Fushimi-ku (northern part of Rokujizo) to Kajuji, Yamashina-ku. Along the road, there are “Akechi Mitsuhide” and “Akechi Mitsuhide no Tsuka”, which are said to have been stabbed by Akechi Mitsuhide on the way to Omi Sakamoto Castle in 1582 (Tensho 10).

Yin and Yang
Okunoin of Iwaya Shrine. The yin and yang giant rocks on the hillside behind the main shrine convey the image of the Banza worship in the era when there were no fixed worship facilities. In recent years, the approach to the shrine has been improved by the efforts of worshipers of Ujigami, and dozens of torii gates have been dedicated.

Hojoan trace
Hojo stone is said to be a megalith below this. It is said that this is the place where Kamo no Chomei ran a small hermitage of Hojoki (about 3 meters) and wrote “Hojoki”. Chomei, the second son of Setsumatsusha at Shimogamo Shrine, learned biwa and waka poems while aspiring to be a shrine priest. Although he was active as a court poet, he was disappointed in the succession of the shrine priest and left home in the first year of Genkyu (1204). In conclusion, he wrote “Hojoki”, which is said to be the prelude to the development of Kamakura culture, and settled on June 8th, 1216.

Yamashina Sui
Lake Biwa Canal completed in 1890. It was planned by the 3rd Governor of Kyoto Prefecture, Kunimichi Kitagaki, to promote the industry of Kyoto that had lost its vitality after the Meiji Restoration, and to regain the bustle of Kyoto by excavating tunnels and waterways from Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. It was completed by a big project of watering. It is Shinomiya in Yamashina Ward that the water of Lake Biwa flows out to the Kyoto side through the canal. The canal in the Yamashina area is called “Yamashina Canal” and is a walking course with a promenade. You can enjoy a pleasant walk along the water while feeling the history of Yamashina, such as the “Biane” with words such as Meiji politicians at the entrance and exit of the tunnel and the first reinforced concrete bridge in Japan.

Daigosui
Well water near the worship hall of Kiyotakinomiya (Kamidaigo), the guardian of Daigoji Temple. It is said that when the founder, Shobo Rigen Daishi, came to the mountain in Mantra mission, he saw a white-haired’Yokoo Myojin’who drank this water and screamed, “Oh, it’s a real pleasure.” The name of the temple is also named after it. It is the water of the temple.

Museums

Daigoji Reihokan
It houses about 75,000 national treasures and important cultural properties, and about 150,000 temple treasures including undesignated cultural properties. It houses valuable historical materials such as sculptures, paintings, crafts, and ancient documents in the history of Japanese Buddhism and art, and holds special exhibitions in spring and autumn with a theme.

Shimizu Yaki no Sato Kaikan
At the Kiyomizu-yaki no Sato Kaikan, a ceramic artist who has inherited the brilliant tradition of Kyo-yaki and Kiyomizu-yaki, which was nurtured by master craftsmen such as Ninsei Nonomura and Kenzan Ogata, who were the origins of Kyo-yaki and Shimizu-yaki. , Handmade works such as kiyomizu ware are exhibited.

In the Shimizu-yaki housing complex, you can experience various things such as “hand-bending” and “painting”, and the potter will kindly guide you. (Reservation required) In addition, the annual large pottery market “Kiyomizu Yaki no Sato Matsuri” (Summer Pottery Festival has been renewed since 2010) in the Shimizu Yaki housing complex area for three days on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the third week of October every year. ) Is being held, and services and various events unique to the production area are being developed centering on Kyo-yaki and Kiyomizu-yaki, and are gaining popularity.

Kyoto Country Folk Equipment Museum
Located at the foot of Mt. Otowa. Exhibits hundreds of work and living tools used in the countryside of Kyoto for the purpose of learning for children and students. I would like to see the origin of Japanese life in agricultural machinery mainly for rice cultivation and living utensils for the common people.

Ichitoen Museum “Kakurain”
In addition to the relics of Tenko Nishida (1872-1968), who founded the life of Ittoen, materials such as Hosai Ozaki, Kanjiro Kawai, Shiko Munakata, Hyakuzo Kurata, and the statue of Mary given by Father Korbe, related to Gandhi. Goods, etc. are stored and exhibited. Lake Biwa Canal flows in front of the museum, and the cherry blossoms in spring and the autumn leaves are beautiful, so you can enjoy a walk throughout the four seasons.

Events / festivals

Agama no Hoshi Matsuri
Five Great Powers of Godairiki
Hokaiji Naked Dance
Splash dance
Memorial Festival
Origami Inari Festival
Service festival
Annual Festival
Toyotaiko Hanami procession
Gishikai Hosho
Yamashina Bishamon-do Cherry Blossom Party
Idol procession
Daigoji Temple Mantokai