Cherry blossoms: March 30, 2025

 

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom today in Tokyo, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

I walked in the walking paths and parks near my house and enjoyed the flowers.

 

It was cold and cloudy today, but many people were enjoying cherry blossom in the parks.

At Hanegi Park in Umegaoka, families and friends spread sheets on the ground and enjoyed drinks and meals.

 

Pink flowers were fully open in the walking paths and in the shrines.

The cherry blossoms will fall in a few days. It will soon be April.

 

 

Tokaido 57 Walk (3) Yodo-Iwashimizu Hachiman: Mar 29, 2025

I started today’s walking from Yodo shukuba station and proceeded to Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine.

It is said that a castle was first built in Yodo around the 15th century and many rulers used it as their base. At the end of the 16th century, it became the residence of Chacha (Yodo-dono), one of the wives of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In the first half of the 17th century during the Edo period, a new Yodo Castle was built and existed until the Meiji period.

 

The castle ruins are now preserved as a park. Some stone walls remain.

A shrine has also been built on the site.

 

Part of the area where the shukuba station once stood is now the Kyoto Racecourse. It opened in 1925 and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

It is one of Japan's leading racecourses.

It has huge studium seatings, betting booths, theater rooms, restaurants, shops and many other facilities in addition to a horserace course. It can accommodate more than 100,000 spectators.

 

There were no races today, but quite a few people gathered. Some of them were buying betting tickets for the horse races. Here, horse races from all over the country were broadcast in the form of a public view, and people enjoyed betting while watching.

Others were visiting with their children. Families were enjoying meals, while kids were running around on the grass. (See the 2nd photo)

Many early-blooming Kawachi cherry trees were planted near Yodo, and it is good time to see them. About 200 cherry trees were planted along the waterway, about a 10-minute walk from Keihan Electric Railway Yodo Station. (See also the 4th photo)

 

The Yodo River (Uji River) and two tributaries (Katsura River and Kizu River) flow close together in this area. The Tokaido road runs along the right bank of the Yodo River, sometimes through towns.

 

Then, it goes sometimes through fields.

 

Walking about 3 kilometers from Yodo shukuba, I crossed the Yodo River. 

Then, I arrived at an observation tower. From there, I could see the view of the Yodo River and the Kizu River merging. (See the top photo)

 

The Tokaido left Kyoto City (Fushimi Ward) and entered Yawata City when I crossed the Kizu River.

 

Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine here was built in the 9th century and is one of Japan's leading Hachiman shrines. It stands on Mt. Otokoyama, which is 143 meters above sea level. Many of its buildings are registered as national treasures. (See also the 3rd photo)

 

I went up the mountain in a cable car. The panoramic view of Kyoto City was impressive from the observation deck.

 

 

Tokaido 57 Walk (2) Fushimi-Yodo: Mar 28, 2025

 

After visiting various places in Fushimi, I set off for Yodo, the 55^th shukuba station.

The Tokaido ran along the Yodo River from Fushimi to Osaka in the Edo era.

After leaving Fushimi and going forward for a while, the old Tokaido runs along the bank of the Uji River. The Uji River changes its name to the Yodo River downstream.

The blossoms of rapeseed flower began on the riverbed.

Around the area, there are several disaster and environment-related research centers and factories. They include the Disaster Prevention Research Institute of Kyoto University.

The Keihan Electric Railway line also ran along the old Tokaido.

The Yodo River (Uji River), the Katsura River, and the Kizu River are close to each other around Yodo shukuba (the three rivers merge downstream from Yodo shukuba). Historically, many floods occurred here. I ofund information to warn floods on electric poles along the Tokaido. 

Fierce fighting took place in the area during the Battle of Toba-Fushimi in 1868. There is a memorial monument for the war dead along the road.

 I arrived in Yodo shukuba area. Today's walk was about 6km.

History and sake of Fushimi: Mar. 28, 2015

Fushimi, which locates in the southern part of Kyoto City, has played an important role in many historical events in Japan. It is also famous for sake brewing.

Following yesterday's visit to Fushimi Inari Shrine, I visited important sights in Fushimi today. Many of the places I visited were located in or around the area where Fushimi shukuba station, one of the Tokaido’s 57 stations, was located.

 

Fushimi Castle was the political center of Japan at the end of the 16th century. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who became the ruler of Japan, built his first castle here in 1592. After it collapsed due to an earthquake and was rebuilt, Hideyoshi died in Fushimi Castle in 1598.

Tokugawa Ieyasu also stayed in Fushimi Castle before establishing his shogunate in Edo in 1603. Fushimi Castle was abolished in the 1620s due to the policy of the Tokugawa shogunate.

In the 1960s, a concrete castle that imitated the castle at that time was built in a part of the area where Fushimi Castle was located. Cherry blossoms were beautiful around the castle today.（See also the top photo)

The tomb of Emperor Meiji (1867-1912) was also built in the area where Fushimi Castle was located.

 

The approach to the tomb goes through the forest.

 

Along the approach, stone walls that were once used in Fushimi Castle are displayed.

 

Many important events took place in Fushimi during the turmoil period at the end of the Edo era. The Edo Shogunate and anti-Shogunate forces such as Satsuma and Choshu fought each other. The control power was returned from the Shogunate to the Imperial power in 1967, but the Battle of Toba-Fushimi took place between the new government forces and the Shogunate forces in 1968.

 

Sakamoto Ryoma, who contributed to the establishment of cooperation between the anti-Shogunate forces, is one of the most popular figures in Japanese history. Teradaya, where Ryoma used as his base of activities and where he was injured in an attack by Shogunate forces in 1866, remains as it was.　(See also the 2nd photo)

 

The nearby shopping street was named Ryoma Street, reflecting his popularity.　(See also the 3rd photo)

Many of Fushimi's towns were burned down and damaged during the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. Bullet marks from the battle remain on the lattice doors of Uosaburou, a traditional Japanese fish restaurant near Fushimi-Momoyama Station of the Keihan Line.

 

During the battle, government forces led by Saigo Takamori and others established their base at Gokonomiya Shrine, near the shukuba town.

 

Fushimi is rich in clean water and is a major producer of sake. 

There are springs in Gokonomiya Shrine.

 

Nationally famous brewers such as Kizakura and Gekkeikan have their headquarters and breweries in Fushimi. The photo on the left shows Gekkeikan's museum. Kizakura also has an exhibition room and a shop, attracting visitors.(See the 4th photo)

 

There are also many foreign tourists here. The tributaries of the Uji River run through the chity, and many tourists were enjoying the scenery on cruise boats.

Fushimi Inari Shrine: March 27, 2025 (off Tokyo)

 

 

I stopped by Fushimi Inari on the way of my Tokaido walk from Yamashina to Osaka (the Tokaido 57 walk).

This shrine is one of the most popular spots among foreign tourists to Japan. It was ranked number one in the 2025 TripAdvisor ranking of Japanese tourist destinations.

 

Founded in the early 8th century, it is the headquarters of about 3,000 Inari shrines in Japan. The Inari shrine’s god is connected with foxes, and there are many fox statues in Fushimi Inari.

 

Fushimi Inari is famous for its torii tunnels. It is said that there are more than 800 torii gates in the area where the shrine buildings are located, and more than 10,000 torii gates including the mountain behind it. Official number is not announced. (See also the top, 2nd and 3rd photos)

 

The shrine was crowded with many foreign tourists. Many people rented kimonos from nearby stores and visited the shrine wearing them.

 

There are many souvenir and food shops at the sides of the approach to the shrine.