April Kyoto Prefecture HighlightsCherry wonders in Uji City, Kasagi Town, and Keihoku Town
This month's Kyoto Prefectural News features special event highlights throughout the prefecture, and a short introduction to three of the region's recommended cherry blossom viewing locations. Get out and see the rich and ever changing world of Kyoto Prefecture—the center of Japan in so many ways.
April Events Highlights
Fabulous fairs & festivals
Fukuchiyama Castle Festival: This major spring festival features a historical parade with traditional costumes, dance, a float parade and other excellent events. Near JR Fukuchiyama Stn. Tel: (0773) 22-2108. Uji River Cherry Festival : Under the cherry trees of Uji Park, along the Uji River: pottery and all kinds of other fun events. Tel:(0774)23-3334. Kayadani Festival : This large festival, related to the summer Gion Matsuri, features all kinds of traditional events and performances. In Kaya-cho (northern Kyoto Prefecture). Tel: (0772) 43-2191. Tsutsukawa Festival: Traditional dance (9:00-13:00) at a 16th century shrine in ancient Ine-cho, on the Japan Sea. Tel: (0772) 32-0277.
Uji City
Riverside paradise
The country town of Uji, a famous tourist destination twenty kilometers southeast of Kyoto Station, has been attracting visitors for over a thousand years. Its attractions include ancient temples and shrines (two of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites), stunning river-side scenery, great parks, excellent hiking courses, and world-class pottery. Uji is also the tea capital of Japan. Chinese tea plants were transplanted to Uji in the 12th century, and Uji tea has long been considered the finest in the land. April is one of the best times to visit Uji. The best way to see all the city's attractions, is to stroll along the river (first along the north side of the river, east of Uji Keihan Station, and then along the south side to Byodo-in Temple). The river is lined with magnificent cherry trees (**see events section above). Uji can be reached via the Keihan (change at Chushojima), Kintetsu and JR lines. It’s about 30 minutes from Kyoto. To get to Mampuku-ji get off at Obaku-in Station (2 stops before Uji). Uji has an excellent tourist information center (in English) on the south side of the river. Tel: (0774) 23-3334.
Uji Highlights
Byodo-in’s Phoenix Hall, which graces Japan’s ¥10 coin, is widely regarded to be the most beautiful structure ever built in Japan. Built in 1052, its two wooden wings, flanking a central hall, were designed to represent Pure Land Buddhism's Western Paradise. Reflected in the large pond in front of it, this exotic, age-old structure is home to a priceless 11th century Amida Buddha and many other art masterpieces. The hall was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The Uji Botanical Gardens, located about 3 km southeast of Byodo-in, are home to 530 plant varieties, including Japan's finest flowers, bushes and trees, and herbs and foreign flowering species from around the world. Mampuku-ji Temple, regarded as one of the most exotical temples in Japan, is entirely done in the Chinese Ming (1368-1644) dynasty architectural style. This Zen temple was established in 1661 in the hilly tea cultivation area outside of Uji by a Chinese sect that was persecuted by the Manchus (1644-1912) in China. Mampuku-ji serves highly recommended Chinese vegetarian lunch courses (reservations required).
Kasagi Town
Buddhist stone carvings
Kasagi, the southernmost town in Kyoto Prefecture, bordering Nara Prefecture, is blessed with an abundance of nature. In the center of the area lies Mt. Kasagi, a designated natural park. Mt. Kasagi has a long history; as long ago as 2,000 years ago the area seems to have been used for religious observances. Several huge boulders in the area have Buddhist images carved on them. Kasagi's small-town, turn-of-the-century atmosphere attracts people from Kansai's busy cities yearround. In spring, Kasagi is famed for its cherry blossoms; and the area is very popular with campers in summer.
A walking tour of the Kasagi features ancient structures, stunning vistas and many wild cherry trees flowering on the mountainside in April. The easy-to-follow route passes by an impressive bodhisattva carved on a 12-meter high stone face, through a stone tunnel where early devotees purified themselves, and past the big Yurugi-ishi stone which can be shaken with just one finger. The 800 meter route starts behind the old wooden buildings of Kasagi Temple and takes about 40 minutes. To get to Kasagi from Kyoto Stn. (it takes about 90 min.) take the JR Nara line to Kizu Stn.; transfer to the Kansai-honsen line and get off at Kasagi Stn.
Keihokucho Town
Late-blooming cherry paradise
Blessed with rich forest, thw town of Keihokucho is home to a number of interesting ruins (some of them dating back to the stone-age) and a famous cherry-blossom Zen temple. The town has had strong ties with the imperial family since the Heian period (794-1185), especially in connection with Joshoko-ji Zen temple, which was patronized by a number of emperors over the centuries. Several merchant families in the Keihokucho area, who became extremely wealthy by shipping lumber to Kyoto on the Kamikatsura River, had a tradition of giving lavish gifts to the emperor.
In late April, many tourists visit Keihokucho’s Joshoko-ji Temple to marvel at its magnificent late-blooming cherry trees. This spectacular, forest-enclosed Rinzai sect temple has superb gardens, timeworn wooden Zen structures, and a number of famous cherry trees. The most popular trees are the 400-year old Kokonoe sakura (designated as a natural monument in 1938), Yae zakura (double-flowering cherry) and Mikuruma-gaeshi sakura (which has especially pink, big flowers). There is a famous story about the Mikuruma-gaeshi tree. One day, Emperor Gomizuo (1596-1680) visited Joshoko-ji to see the Kokonoe cherry tree. On his return (gaeshi) to Kyoto, he noticed another beautiful cherry tree and had his wheeled cart (mikuruma) stopped. This is how the tree got the name.
To reach Joshoko-ji Temple, take a JR bus from Kyoto Stn. At Shuzan transfer to another bus and get off at the Ymaguni Goryo-mae bus stop (20 min.)