Ayuchaya Hiranoya & Ayu no Yado Tsutaya

 

After visiting the delightful 1200 Rakan at Otagi Nembutsuji Temple I descended the narrow mountain road and came into the area known as Saga Toriimoto, an absolutely delightful area of old thatched buildings at the top end of Arashiyama.

The area is an historic preservation area, but in this post I will concentrate on just two buildings, both of them eateries with long traditions.

The top one, just above the vermillion torii, and therefore the first one I visited first is Ayuchaya Hiranoya.

It was still a couple of hours till opening time, but it was open, and I could peer inside....

Said to have been in business for 400 years, it was originally a teahouse and an ayu (sweetfish) wholesaler. The road is the route to Atago Shrine a very popular pilgrimage site and the torii is the first torii marking the route.

Ofuda left by pilgrims are plastered over the woodwork....

The ayu were caught up in the mountains, and "rested" in fresh water barrels overnight, and then carried into the restaurants of Kyoto the next morning. Nowadays the ayu are served directly to customers. I believe it is like a small trout.

The current proprietress is the 15th generation.

Nearby, just below the torii, is Ayu no Yado Tsutaya.

It is also about 400 years old.

Tsutaya has a similar history to Hironaya, starting out as a teahouse and then serving meals, especially ayu.

In 1989 the guest rooms were refurbished by leading designers and craftsmen.

I believe that advance bookings are necessary.

But even if you are not eating or drinking there, the walk up from Arashiyama rewards the visitor with  remarkable historical scenery.

The previous post in this series on Arashiyama was on portraits of the unique rakan statues at Otagi Nembutsuji Temple a little up the hill from here...

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Kando-ji Temple 23 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage

 

Kandoji, is a fairly small and nondescript temple in the south of Izumo City. As well as being temple 23 on the Chugoku Kannon pilgrimage, it is also temple number 5 on the much older Izumo Kannon Pilgrimage. The post from my earlier visit is here.

Though now quite modest, it was in ancient times very large and powerful and is said to have had a strong relationship with Izumo Taisha, but I know that in 15th and 16th centuries Gakuenji Temple oversaw Izumo Taisha. It is said that it was the foremost temple in the San-in region.

Said to have been founded in 781 by Socho. Amazingly, it is claimed that Saicho, the founder of Hiezan and the Tendai sect and a contemporary of Kobo Daishi, was the second abbot of the temple, and that Kobo Daishi himself was the third.

Another claim is that Kobo Daishi wrote the Iroha while here and a copy in his handwriting is owned by the temple. The Iroha was a poem for memorizing the kana syllabary that Kobo Daishi is said to have created. It can be thought of as a Japanese version of the Alphabet Song in English. Not too long ago I posted on another temple claiming to be where he wrote the Iroha, Dogakuji Temple in Tokushima. Historians are of the opinion that the Iroha was composed hundreds of years after the time of Kobo Daishi.

The temple converted to the Jodo sect. It has an Amida as its honzon, said to have been carved by Gyoki. The 11-faced Kannon in the Kannon Hall is a secret Buddha.

The previous post in this series on day 40 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on the nearby Umaki Fudoson, one of the top 3 Fudo's in Japan.

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Views From Konjiji Temple

 

Konjiji is a mountaintop temple in Tokushima.

It is the 12th temple on the Shikoku Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage, and also the okunoin of Dainichiji, the 13th temple on the famous Ohenro pilgrimage.

It is located at about 310 meters above sea level, about 120 meters below the peak.

The views out over the Yoshino River valley and plain and over Tokushima City are stupendous.

It is about 30 meters higher than the viewpoint on Mount Bizan overlooking the city...

The previous post in this series on my walk along the Shikoku Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage was on Konjiji Temple.

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Umaki Fudoson

 

Coming into Izumo along the Kando River after visiting Zenjoji Temple, I was struck by a vermilion gate and had to explore.

It is Komyoji Temple, but more commonly known as Umaki Fudoson, and is home to one of the top three Fudo's in Japan.

Of course, that may be like the top 3 Inari shrines, where the first two are well established, and the third varies depending on the region, but I was surprised not to have heard of it.

One theory holds that the temple was established in ancient times and was among those mentioned in the Izumo Fudoki.

In medieval times, it was a Shingon temple, then converted to Zen, and in 1631 became a Nichiren sect temple.

At the site of the old Fudo Hall stands the Water-Pouring Fudo. Though only dating to 1976, the decades of water poured over it have made the moss grow thick...

The main Fudo statue in the new Fudo Hall is said to have been carved by Gyoki.

It is 157 cms tall and is carved out of a single piece of wood...

The previous post in this series on day 40 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on the mountain temple  Zenjoji, the 24th temple of the pilgrimage

If you would like to subscribe by email, just leave your email address in the comments below. It will not be published or made public. I post new content almost every day, and send out an email about twice a month with short descriptions and links to the most recent posts.