Momijigari Season
Tofukuji Temple (), located in the south eastern
region of Kyoto City, is one of
the most famous places in all of Japan for autumn maple leaf viewing (momijigari
gtλθ).
The Tofukuji Temple grounds, which include many inspiring Japanese gardens
as well as
the renowned Seven Temples of the Tofukuji School of Zen Buddhism (1273)
among other temples,
offer the visitor a visual spectacle beyond the typical momijigari experience.
In the height of the maple leaf viewing season (mid-late November), Tofukuji
station and the main road leading
to Tofukuji Temple is overflowing with people eager to observe the picturesque
display of autumn color.
If you love crowds, great, you will be right at home. However, to avoid
the initial onslaught, I suggest
getting off at Tobakaido station (ΉHXΉw), one stop after Tofukuji
station on the Keihan Line.
Five minutes walk east of Tobakaido station takes you to Komyoin Temple
(υΎ@), a small sub-temple
bordering the Tofukuji Temple grounds. Here you will come across what
is without doubt
my favorite Japanese garden in the entire Tokfukuji Temple grounds. Sandy
beaches
have been incorporated into the traditional dry wave rock garden design
that dates back to
the Heian period (794-1185) known as Hashin-tei (gSλ). Thin tranquil
waves of stone spread out
covering the entire garden body like diffuse streams of light. A tall maple
tree stands nearby at ease,
providing a calming magnanimous atmosphere. The garden was completed during
the Showa Period (1926-1989),
before the beginning of the Second World War by SHIGEMORI Mirei. SHIGEMORI
was a well known
traditional and modern garden designer, and he named this particular garden
after the great artist
Francois Millet.
Exiting Komyoin Temple and making your way north into the main temple precincts,
you will soon
confront the famous Sanmon Gate (Oε). The original Sanmon Gate is said
to have been built
in the 1270's, but was burned down during the fires that devastated the
temple grounds on
three occasions between 1319 and 1339. The present Sanmon Gate was completed
in 1425,
and remains ones of the most outstanding features of Tofukuji Temple. It
stands two stories (22 meters) high.
Climbing the wooden leader to the top, you are greeted by sculptures of
Buddha and 16 Buddhist monks,
along with a magnificent view of the surrounding northern part of the city.
The upper section of Sanmon
Gate is only open to the public between Oct. 30 - Nov. 10.
Following the stone path that leads from the main temple gate to the Founder's
Hall, you will come across
Tsuten-kyo Bridge (ΚV΄), an enchanting old wooden structure which spans
the ravine Sengyokukan (τΚΐ).
Surrounded on both flanks by a vast expanse of exquisite momiji trees,
and with the city as a backdrop,
Tsuten-kyo Bridge offers the perfect location for momiijigari. The scene
is further enhanced with
the mid-afternoon sun in the background, emphasizing the various shades
of red, yellow and orange maple leaves.
It is said that Tsuten-kyo Bridge was originally built as a place for
Buddhist priests to relax and enjoy
a break from their daily toil. Nowadays, for a small price, everyone has
the opportunity to gather on
its sturdy planks to soak up the atmosphere and participate in the ultimate
autumn experience.
In addition to the sites I have introduced, there are many other historical
temples located within
the Tofukuji Temple grounds. Why not visit this momijigari season and see
for yourself.
N. Suematsu
Access: Tofukuji Station or Tobakaido Station on Keihan Line, Nara Line
, and City Bus
Inquiries: Tofukuji Temple, Tel: 551-0334
The Changing Face of Umezu
In early summer my garden is abloom with snow white colored Ogasawara Kikyo
(¬}΄j[),
tiny bell shaped flowers that seem to thrive with little encouragement.
"Oh look how pretty they are!"
remarked my friends@one day, later returning to their homes with a bunch
to plant in their own gardens.
Unfortunately, however, none of the flowers survived for long in their
new homes. It turned out
that the flowers demise was not due to insufficient care, but rather to
the soil in which they
had been planted. The soil lacked the mix of sand found in my garden,
which is responsible for
their flourishing effect. The area in which my garden is located was once
a part of the Katsura River (jμ),
before floods altered its course many years ago. Understanding the history
behind the unusually sandy soil
in my garden spurred my thoughts onto the broader history of my town Umezu,
located in the western area
of Ukyo-ku ward. I would like to unveil a little more of Umezu's past,
a past that has helped to shape
the present face of the town.
The name Umezu is literally made up of the two words, ume (~) , meaning
plum tree, and zu (Γ),
meaning landing place. From the Heian Period (794-1185) on wards, Umezu
has been well known as
an off loading place for lumber boated down the Katsura (jμ) River from
the Saga (΅γ) area.
Umezu's impressive boating facilities and docking area for the time, combined
with its beautiful scenery,
captured the heart of many, including several aristocrats who built Besso
(Κ), second homes, in the area.
One of the aristocrats that did so was MINAMOTO no Morokata (Ήt«). The
original location of
his thatched cottage is unknown, but what is considered to be a relatively
accurate replica of
the original design was reconstructed in the grounds of Umenomiya Shine
(~{_Π) during
the Meiji Period (1868-1912). As was common practice amongst aristocrats
during this period,
upon visiting MINAMOTO no Morokata, his relative MINOMOTO no Tsunenobu
(ΉoM) wrote him
a waka poem (aΜ: 31 syllable poem), which was to be later featured in
the Hyakunin Isshu Collection (Slκρ).
This is a collection of 100 waka poems by hundred famous poets between
the 7th and 13th Century.
Most of the poems revolve around themes of love or the four seasons. The
Hyakunin Isshu Collection
is said to have been compiled by FUJIWARA Teika (‘΄θΖ) in the 13th
Century. MINAMOTO no
Tsunenobu's poem is bellow:
When evening comes,
A gentle autumn breeze blows,
The rice stalks at the gate
A further search for records documenting the size or design of besso houses
built (for aristocrats) in
the area during the Heian Period uncovered little. However, what did come
to light was the cultural and
historical significance of Umenomiya Shrine (~{_Π) and Chofukuji Temple
(·).
Umenomiya Shrine was originally constructed in the south of Kyoto prefecture
in the 8th Century by
Tachibana no Michiyo (kOηγ), whose son Moroe (Z) later became a
great politician. Some four
generations later Tachibana no Kachiko (kΓqq), Empress Saga, moved
Umenomiya shrine to
its present location. It has been maintained by the government ever since.
Chofukuji Temple was
first established in 1169 by a nun through financial assistance from ASHIKAGA
Shogun (««R).
Unfortunately, both Umenomiya Shrine and Chofukuji Temple, along with much
of Umezu village, were
burned down during the civil battle, Onin no Ran (mΜ) that took
place between 1469-1477
During the Edo Period (1615-1867) Umezu was broken up into two regions,
east and west. Umenomiya
Shrine in the west and Chofukuji Temple in the east were both rebuilt,
and the beautiful scenery of
Umezu was restored.
The Meiji Period (1868-1912), a period of rapid modernization and change,
lead to the establishment
of the first elementary school in the east of Umezu, while in the west,
the first papermill was constructed.
In 1889 the eastern and western regions were reunited and Umezu village
became a part of Kyoto City.
Even as recently as forty years ago there were very few houses located
in the area behind Umenomiya
Shrine, at that stage characterized by open fields. The only public transport
in the area was a trolley
bus that used to run from Nishioji Shijo (ΌεHlπ) to Nishidenki (Όdχ).
From Nishidenki a
thirty minute walk was then required to get to the houses in the Umezu
area. Despite this inconvenience,
due to the small population of the area there were very few local shops.
So, to avoid a shopping trip
into the city center, it was not unusual for my grandmother to serve carp
taken from the pond in
our garden when a guest visited. Though the proximity from the center of
town was not really great,
when my grandmother traveled into the city center she would always say,
"I'm going downtown"
uΙsΑΔ«ά·v, as Umezu was generally considered the country.
Since those days, many houses have sprung up all around Umezu, and the
village has changed in many ways,
becoming a considerably populated township. To my regret, however, much
of the development has been
to the detriment of the areas former glory; it's beautiful natural surroundings.
Nevertheless, in my mind
the elegant beauty of Umezu will remain forever.
GOING PLACES
Getting the Most Out of Your Travel Yen: Series II
Kyoto City Bus:
There is something like 70 different bus routes zigzagging across Kyoto
City. These 70 routes are divided
and categorized by a 3 color series. The first color series is orange,
characterized by white numbering on
an orange background. The bus numbering runs from 201-208, and the buses
follow a circular route around the city.
The second color series is blue, indicated by white numbering on a blue
background. The bus
numbering is between 1-84 (random no.), and the buses run within the central
city district. The fare for both
orange and blue series buses is a flat \220 rate.
The third color series is black, identified by black numbering on a white
background. The bus numbering is
between 5-93, and the buses run from the inner city to the suburbs. When
you first get on a black series
bus it is important to take a ticket from the machine next to the door.
It will have a number written on it
to indicate the section you are in. The fare then varies depending on
how many sections you pass through.
On all buses, children (under 12) pay only half fare and those under 6
are free if accompanied by an adult (2 child limit).
Kyoto City Subway:
There are two subway lines, Tozai and Karasuma. The fare on both subway
lines ranges
between \200 and \320 (child half-fare), depending on the number of sections
passed through.
There are various discount tickets available.
Ordinary bus ticket: \1000 (5 tickets), \3000 (15 tickets + bonus \110
ticket), \5000 (26 tickets).
There are also special discount tickets for day time use only called "chukan-waribiki:
\1000 (13 \110 tickets),
\2000 (13 tickets). To be valid, you must get off the bus between 10am-4pm.
Not valid on Sunday or national holiday.
Transfer ticket: bus to bus transfer ticket cost \350 and can only be used
when transferring
between the orange and blue color series, or from nominated bus stops which
have a sticker of 2 buses
holding hands (very cute!)
Prepaid card: \2000 to the value of \2250. For bus and subway, there is
a prepaid card called
"torafika-kyo-card": \1000 (no discount), \3000 to the value
of \3300.
Transfer tickets between bus and subway: \360 for bus and one section of
the subway (you pay
extra over more sections)
Ordinary Subway Ticket: 11 tickets for a 10 ticket fare.
Special discount ticket for daytime use: 12 tickets for a 10 ticket fare,
useful only if you enter through
the ticket gates between 10am-4pm. Not valid on Sunday or national holiday
The above mentioned tickets are available from:
Bus tickets - Kyoto City bus and subway information desk (Mibu transportation
authority, JR
Kyoto station, Kyoto sta. on subway, Kitaoji bus terminal and Oike sta.
on subway), city bus
commuter pass counter (Shijo-karasuma, Takeda, Sanjo-keihan, Daigo, Yamashina,
Nijo sta.,
Umezu, Nishikamo, Yokooji and Rakusai), city bus office (Kinrin, Gojo and
Kujo), certains
convenience stores and cigarette stores near bus stops.
The \1000 ordinary bus tickets can be purchased on the bus. Subway tickets
are only available from
ticket machines at subway stations. Prepaid cards and transfer tickets
are also available from the City Bus Office,
information desk and commuter pass counter. For further information, contact
the Kyoto
Transportation Authority, Tel:801-2561, or look up their home page
http://www.city.kyoto.jp/kotsu/main.htm