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.

 

Tokaido 57 Walk (1) Yamashina Oiwake-Fushimi: March 27, 2025

The Tokaido is widely known as a historical road which connected Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto in the Edo period. As it had 53 shukuba stations between the two cities, it is usually called “the Tokaido 53" (the Tokaido with 53 stations). The road was developed in the early 1600s on the order of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Shogun of the Edo Shogunate. The route is about 500 km long. I walked the entire route between 2010 and 2015.

An additional route was built by the orders of Tokugawa Hidetada, the second Shogun, around 1620. The route is about 50 km long, from just before Kyoto to Osaka. Four additional shukuba stations were established along this route, making a total of 57 stations, including the 53 stations from Edo to Otsu. For this reason, the road from Edo to Osaka is often called the Tokaido with 57 stations.

Ten years after completing my walks from Tokyo to Kyoto, I decided to walk a part of the Tokaido 57 stations from the junction to Osaka.

The fork in the road to Osaka is on the way from Otsu (the 53rd station on the Tokaido) to Kyoto (the goal of Tokaido 53). It is located at Oiwake in Yamashina Waurd, Kyoto City. There is a sign that says Kyoto if you go right, and Osaka if you go left. (See also the top photo)

 

On the road to Osaka, I first walked through Yamashina Ward. The surrounding area is mostly residential, but there are also vegetable fields.

As today is a weekday, I saw scenes of daily life such as people working in stores, nursery teachers taking care of children at a kindergarten, and elderly people taking a walk.

 

Along the road, I found signposts from the Edo period. 

I also found a ruin of milestone.

 

There are also many temples and shrines around the road. Zuishin-in Temple is famous for the legend of Ono no Komachi, a beautiful poet and famous in Japanese history, and for its plum blossoms. (See also the 2nd photo)

 

After walking for about two hours, I entered Fushimi Ward in Kyoto City. There is Fushimi Inari Shrine, which is worldly famous among tourists, in the area.

After a total of about four hours of walking, I arrived at the site of Fushimi-juku, the 54th shukuba station from Edo (Tokyo). Parrs of the area has been converted into a shopping arcade.

 

Camp Zama in Kanagawa Prefecture: March 22, 2025

 

There are more than 130 U.S. Military bases and facilities in Japan. Many of them (more than 70% in area) are in Okinawa Prefecture, but some of them are in Tokyo and Kanto district. 

They include Fleet Activities (navy facilities) in Yokosuka (Kanagawa), Navy air facility in Atsugi (Kanagawa), Yokota Air Base (in Tokyo), and U.S. Army’s Zama Camp.

I visited Camp Zama as it was open to the public today. (They had a cherry blossom festival, although cherry was not yet open this year).

The camp locates in Zama and Sagamihara cities in Kanagawa prefecture. The headquarters of the US Army, Japan (USARJ) is here. Troopes are not usually deployed here.

The camp is about 2.3 square km. They have residential houses, schools, shops and other living facilities in addition to military facilities here. 

I entered the camp through the main gate (See the 3rd photo).

Many open-air stalls were set in the streets. They sold foods and souvenirs. 

A children's play area was set up

Many people – both visitors from outside and the camp’s residents – attended the festival. (See also the 2nd photo)

Japanese people are also working here in the camp. I found a desk to recruit Japanese people to work here.

Visitors can use only cash and credit cards and cannot use mobile cash and other digital moneys. I found such information on a board at the end of a line to the restaurants and shops.

I visited military bases in Okinawa and Yokota Air Base in the past. I found many things when in such bases.

 

 

Ume Festival @ Umegaoka: February 8, 2025

Japan is being hit this week by the coldest wave of this winter. Heavy snow is reported in many parts of Japan, including Hokuriku, Tohoku and Hokkaido areas.

Tokyo also has had cold days, but no snow has been recorded so far.

 

The ume (Japanese apricot) festival started today in Hanegi Park in Umegaoka area, Setagaya City, and I visited there. There are about 600 ume trees in the park.

 

The ume trees were about 30 % in bloom.

It was a fine day. The sky was blue. I found a halfmoon in the sky。（See the top photo)

 

There were many people in the park.

 

Japanese white-eye birds were flying over the trees to collect honey.

Spring is around the corner.

Imperial Palace, Tokyo Station: Jan.10, 2025

The year of 2025 started. 

I had business in the central part of Tokyo and walked around the Imperial Palace. It was a beautiful day.

I enjoyed the senary of the Outer Gardens of the palace. There are hundreds of pine trees there. Skyscrapers stand beyond the trees.

Many people visit the Imperial Palace, including the Outer Gardens, in the first days of year. The places were not so crowded today.

I met some joggers, foreign tourist and Japanese visitors.

A group of foreign visitors were taking photos with the bridge (Nijubashi) to the main gate.

The Tokyo Station area was not so crowded either.

The new year holidays officially ended on January 7th in Tokyo. However, I found signs to celebrate the year here and there.