Fushimi Excursion ~ SEP, 2025 ~

Fushimi is the lowest point in the Kyoto Basin, located at the confluence of the Katsura River, which flows through Kyoto City, the Kamo River, and the Uji River, which flows from Lake Biwa. The three rivers later become the Yodo River and flow into Osaka Bay, but it was a key logistics hub and the sake brewing industry flourished here as a place where a large amount of soft underground water from the Kyoto Basin flows out. This area is also difficult to decide where to start, but I decided to start walking around the Toba Imperial Villa area. Shirakawa-in and Toba-in built luxurious villas and religious facilities reminiscent of paradise, and Anrakuju-in is one of them, and when I visited to pray, I found a cat enshrined there.

This temple is home to the principal image (a statue of Amida Buddha, an Important Cultural Property) that has survived major fires and earthquakes. Unfortunately, it is not open to the public, but in photographs, the statue appears to have a plump face, resembling the Amida Buddha statue at Byodo-in Temple in Uji, built by Fujiwara Yorimichi. According to the idea of the Latter Days of the Law, the beginning of the Latter Days of the Law is said to have occurred in 1052, and from the regent period to the cloistered government period, those in power longed for paradise. With the collapse of the Ritsuryo system behind the establishment of the manor system, the rise of the samurai, and increasing social unrest, the ruling class, whose public and private lives had become blurred, generally had low self-esteem and tended to escape reality. Fortunately, there was no external threat between the Toi Invasions (1027) and the Mongol Invasions(1274,1281).

The nearby tomb of Emperor Konoe features a pagoda. Emperor Konoe was the son of Emperor Toba's favorite consort, Bifukumon'in, who later became empress. He ascended to the throne at the tender age of three, but died suddenly at the age of sixteen. Bifukumon'in's adopted son, Prince Morihito (later Emperor Nijō), was the leading candidate for the throne, but because he was still a child, his biological father, Prince Masahito (later Emperor Goshirakawa), ascended to the throne as a temporary replacement. Prince Morihito's mother died shortly after his birth, and he was raised by his grandfather, the Retired Emperor Toba. This resulted in little affection between father and son, and a long-standing feud between Emperor Goshirakawa and Emperor Nijō. Emperor Goshirakawa allied with the Taira clan, and strengthened his power base after two wars (the Hōgen and Heiji Rebellions).

Emperor Nijō eventually died young, but had Emperor Konoe reburied in the pagoda that had been built for Bifukumon'in during his lifetime. This was apparently a jab at the idea that Emperor Konoe, and himself, the adopted son of Bifukumon'in, was the legitimate successor to the Toba cloistered government. Ironically, Emperor Goshirakawa was later imprisoned in the same place by Taira no Kiyomori in the "Shishigatani Conspiracy Incident." The cloistered government, which began as a rejection of regent politics, effectively came to an end during Goshirakawa's reign, and the later Retired Emperor Gotoba, who attempted to revive it, was defeated in the Jokyu War, confirming the trend towards samurai government.

Between the Anrakujuin area and Toba Rikyu Park is Jonangu Shrine. This is the site of the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, and also the place where Emperor Go-Toba raised his army during the aforementioned Jōkyū War. The emperor issued an imperial decree to pursue and kill Hojo Yoshitoki with a reduced army, using the excuse of gathering warriors for a yabusame (horseback archery) event.

It seems to have also been the starting point for pilgrimages to Kumano, which were popular during the Sekkan and Insei periods. People would purify themselves here and change into traditional attire before leaving, but it is also close to the old Kamogawa port, so it seems people could have traveled to Osaka via the Yodogawa River. The area around the temple grounds is a strolling garden called the "Tale of Genji Flower Garden," where you can enjoy gardens from the Heian, Muromachi, and Azuchi-Momoyama periods, as well as seasonal flowers.

Speaking of Fushimi, it's Fushimi Inari Shrine. It was unusually crowded even though it was a weekday morning. I wondered whether to enter Senbon Inari Shrine, but gave up after just reaching the entrance.

In search of a quiet place, I headed to the nearby Sekihoji Temple. This Obaku sect temple was established in the Edo period, and in the background are 500 stone statues of arhats representing the life of Buddha. It is said that Ito Jakuchu, who lived there in his later years, painted the sketches for these statues, and his grave is also located here. The monk said to me with a pity, "We were displaying the painting yesterday on the anniversary of his death." It seems that fate is everything. I'll remember September 10th.

Hoto-ji Temple, located 4-5 minutes away from Sekiho-ji Temple, has a main hall and pagoda designated as an Important Cultural Property, but it is older than that and was depicted in the 33rd chapter of the Tale of Genji, "Fujiura-yo." This is the place where Hikaru Genji's son, Middle Captain Yūgiri, married Kumoi no Kari, and became a Nichiren sect temple in the 14th century, but at the time it was a Shingon sect temple called Gokuraku-ji.

Fujinomori Shrine was formed when three shrines were merged in the 15th century, and enshrines Prince Toneri, who compiled the Nihon Shoki, Empress Jingu, who conquered the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and Prince Sawara (Emperor Sudō), who was posthumously given the name of Emperor. The origins of Empress Jingu are ancient, but Prince Toneri, the son of Emperor Tenmu who cooperated with the Fujiwara clan, and Prince Sawara, who was embroiled in political strife over the relocation of Nagaoka-kyo, come from different historical backgrounds, which makes it interesting. There are likely many reasons behind the relocation and merger of shrines, but it is one topic that is worth researching in depth.

I was able to hear some interesting stories at the nearby Jodo Shinshu Saiganji Temple. I went inside to visit the grave of Shinran Shonin's first wife (Tamahihime), and the head priest kindly allowed me to see some valuable items inside the hall.

Legend has it that Shinran married Kujo Kanezane's daughter Tamahihime, had a child with her, and was then exiled to Echigo, only to learn that his wife had died upon his return to Tokyo. An urn and bone fragments were discovered during an excavation a dozen years ago, which caused quite a stir. The seated statue kept at the temple is soothed from a fire, but has an elegant and gentle face.

Separately, I was able to see a statue of Shinran in traveling attire. Apparently they were originally made as a pair, and the other one is currently in a temple on Koshikijima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture. The statue's history book was burned in a fire, so even the head priest didn't know about it. However, the other party contacted me and said that, with the temple on Koshikijima at risk of disappearing due to depopulation, they wanted to donate the statues to us, as they were originally a pair. It's a formidable connection to Buddhism, but I think it's wonderful that the life and historical facts of the mysterious Shinran Shonin are coming to light.

Gokonomiya Shrine is also a shrine dedicated to Empress Jingu, who is said to protect safe childbirth. During the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, the Satsuma army was stationed there, but fortunately it was not affected by the fires of war. One couple who were due to give birth came, but I hope it will be more lively.

Fushimi became a major political stage from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji Restoration, and as the residences of various feudal domains were located there, it was also a logistics base and a mecca for information warfare.No Shogun had come to Kyoto since Iemitsu, and the daimyo of the west established their residences in Fushimi, as they considered it taboo to stay overnight in Kyoto during their alternate attendance.

At the site of the Satsuma and Choshu clan residences, there are only signs indicating their locations, but it gives a good idea of the distances people moved around at the time.

There were two attacks on Teradaya at the end of the Edo period. The first was an attack on radical samurai ordered by Shimazu Hisamitsu (1862), and the other was an attack on Sakamoto Ryoma by the Fushimi magistrate, in which he narrowly escaped death but was wounded by a sword (1866).

The distance from Teradaya to the Satsuma clan residence in a straight line north is just over 1 km, but the wounded Ryoma first went west to take refuge in a lumber shed along the Horikawa River, and was then transported by riverboat to the clan residence.

Daikokuji Temple, which served as a place of prayer for the Satsuma domain, is lined with the graves of Satsuma samurai who died in the year 2 of Bunkyu (1862) mentioned above.

Nearby, although from a different era, is the grave of Hirata Yukie, who was in charge of a difficult construction project ordered by the shogunate to the Satsuma domain during the Horeki era (mid-18th century). This was a diversion project for the Kiso River system (Ibi, Kiso, and Nagara rivers) that was contracted to the Satsuma domain, and it is said to have been a form of harassment by the shogunate against the Satsuma domain, which was making profits from trade with the Ryukyus. 85 people died in the Satsuma domain from overwork, infectious diseases, and suicide, and Hirata died shortly after the project was completed.

At the Fushimi wharf, there is a bronze statue of Ryoma and his wife, Oryo, who helped him escape. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to stop by the sake brewery, but I'll look forward to it next time.