v. Mimizuka, or "Ear Mound" (耳塚), also known as Hanazuka ("Nose Mound" or 鼻塚)

Location: Higashiyama Ward (near Shichijo Stn., Keihan Line), Kyoto City; about 50 min. from Osaka or about 10 min. from Kyoto + under 10 min. walking time

Associated with: General historical macabre; Japan's 1592-1598 invasion of Korea

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a great man: a leader, a unifier, a builder and a restorer, and a bloke who liked to cart around a gold room to conduct his tea ceremony in. Had he lived out his later years being the go-to samurai for an expertly brewed cuppa, we'd have remembered him only for his achievements and for his prowess with the tea cup. Instead, he doubled down on his glory and ended his days on a bit of a mean streak.

So what is the Mimizuka? Well mimi is Japanese for ear and tsuka (becomes zuka as the second part of the word here) means mound. The original name for it is Hanazuka, and unfortunately hana in this case does not mean flower (which would be delightful) but nose, as in, the noses of approximately 38,000 Koreans. Mimizuka, what was once known as the "Nose Mound," is in fact a big mound of noses.

Following the logic, the noses were once attached to Koreans, who had them lopped off by the Japanese as war trophies during Japan's invasion of Korea in the late 16th century. It's not that the Japanese had a fetish for noses, but that a method was required by which the number of dead could be tallied and the dispensers compensated. The traditional way was to bring back the heads for counting, but this became impractical with the high number of casualties. Not all were soldiers. Hideyoshi was specific in his instruction: mow down anyone regardless of age, gender, status or rank.

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 1866 (Source: Hara Shobo, http://www.harashobo.com/ via http://ukiyo-e.org)

It's not clear what frame of mind he was in when he had the noses entombed with Buddhist priests on hand to pray for the repose of the souls of the people to whom the noses were once attached. The following year Hideyoshi himself died, and in the subsequent decades  the crass-sounding "Nose Mound" was changed to the (supposedly) less cruel-sounding "Ear Mound."

Suggested Route: For the entry in the Master List (Kyoto) post I included simple directions from Toyokuni Shrine. Mimizuka is actually closer to Shichijo Stn., so I'll include maps with both a direct route and the original route via Toyokuni Shrine.

Toyokuni Shrine? Is that worth visiting? Well, it is in fact the official tomb and shrine of the nose-mounding Hideyoshi himself! You can decide whether its worth paying your respects. As I may not get around to a dedicated entry on him, I'll list up his crueler exploits here:

- Hideyoshi expelled 26 Christians from Kyoto, sending them on their way by first having their ears cut off (What is it with this guy?) before marching them to Nagasaki, where they were crucified. Amongst the now famous martyrs were three young boys aged 12, 13 and 14.
- He had tea ceremony master Sen no Rikyu commit ritual suicide, then displayed his head on a bridge.
- After both his young son and his brother died in 1591, he appointed his nephew as heir the following year. But in 1593 when his second son was born, he exiled his nephew to Mt. Koya and ordered him to commit suicide. When those of his nephew's family did not follow him into the afterlife, they were murdered in Kyoto. This included 31 women and several children.
- He executed Ishikawa Goemon, sometimes referred to as Japan's Robin Hood, by boiling him and his young son alive in oil.
- He had two thumbs on his right hand and apparently decided to keep the extra instead of cutting it off. You're welcome. (Not a cruel exploit, just FYI.)

Comments: This stretch along the Higashiyama Mountain Range is a must-see for anybody who has even one day in Kyoto. If you make your way north from Shichijo, you will encounter sites that you will remember for the rest of your life. However, you are going to run out of time if you linger too long at Toyokuni Shrine, so I recommend going if you are interested and not already "shrined out," but get a move on if you have a big day ahead of you.

Getting There

The starting point on the Midosuji subway line is Yodoyabashi Stn. Our destination is Shichijo Stn. on the Keihan Line.

Subway Yodoyabashi Stn. Is one stop south of Umeda. Godzilla flooded it in the not well-remembered scene from the not well-remembered Godzilla sequel Godzilla Raids Again. At the north end of subway Yodoyabashi Stn. is a new train line for us: the Keihan Line. From Yodoyabashi, the Keihan Main Line runs all the way into Kyoto. Though JR Kyoto Stn. is a large hub for buses and other lines, shooting into Kyoto from Yodoyabashi can be convenient as the last stretch of the Main Line is along the Higashiyama district. To get to Shichijo, you can jump on the Limited Express, which is the fastest service Keihan operates. Despite its exclusiveness, it will stop at every station until you get to Kyobashi, but after that you're good to go. If your hotel is in the Kyobashi area or anywhere near Osaka Castle Park, then I recommend you make your way to Kyobashi and commence your journey from there.

I haven't really travelled to Higashiyama from JR Kyoto Stn., but Shichijo Stn. is close enough to walk to in about 15 minutes. If you're with a group, a taxi from JR Kyoto Stn. also wouldn't be a terrible way to get there. It's detouring slightly, but you can also take the JR Nara line and go one stop to Tofukuji, where there is an adjacent Keihan station that will take you one stop north to Shichijo.

Getting Your Bearings at Shichijo Station

At Shichijo, come out at Exit 4. You should find yourself on the northeast corner of a large intersection. To your right will be a bridge and the Kamo River. In front of you and across the street you should see a McDonald's. Keep in mind that stores close down, including McDonald's, but this one has been there in the 15 or so years I've been coming to Kyoto. Anyway, as you come out of Exit 4 you'll be facing south. Turn left (to the east) at the intersection and follow the map below. This route will take you to Mimizuka via Toyokuni Shrine as per the directions in the Master List (Kyoto) entry.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

To go straight to Mimizuka as quickly as possible, instead of Exit 4 go out Exit 6. This will have you exiting north. Walk along in the same direction and turn right at the first set of lights. Mimizuka will be a ways down the street on your right. If you find the road has ended in a t-junction (at Toyokuni Shrine in fact) it means you've walked passed Mimizuka and need to backtrack.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Image courtesy of Google Maps

Information on Toyokuni Shrine

The shrine is open from 9:00 until 16:00 or 16:30. (I've seen both times quoted, so perhaps go earlier if you can.) Apparently there are no toilets, which is a bit sad.


Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/

The Master List (Kyoto)
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html

(historical) Japanese Invasion of Korea (1592-98)
Site: The Ear Mound, or "Mimizuka" (耳塚); originally known as The Nose Mound, or "Hanazuka" (鼻塚)
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Shichijo Stn. (七条駅)
Google Map Search: "Toyokuni Shrine Kyoto" <-- Not where the mound is exactly.

iv. Nagarabashi Bridge (長柄橋) and Daigan-ji Temple (大願寺) Part 2

Getting to Nagarabashi Bridge

The starting point on the Midosuji subway line is Umeda Stn. Our destination is Tenjinbashisuji-Rokuchome Stn., also on the subway line.

The Osaka subway system is a crisscross of spaghetti like many subway networks around the world. Where one line intersects with another it's possible to get off and change lines without exiting the station and voiding your ticket. Umeda Stn. is a little unique in this respect. Within walking distance are Nishi-Umeda Stn. (Yotsubashi Line) and Higashi-Umeda Stn. (Tanimachi Line). However, there are no tunnels or passageways within the stations connecting them and you need to physically exit one to enter the other. Unfortunately for us though, the quickest way to get to Tenjinbashisuji-Rokuchome Stn. is to travel a few minutes from Higashi-Umeda Stn. This would normally involve having to exit the station and buy another ticket.

If you are in the Osaka Station/Umeda area, but not stuck inside subway Umeda Stn., of course it's no problem. Follow the signs to the Tanimachi Line and/or Higashi-Umeda Stn. and you're good to go. If you have a ticket to get you to Tenjinbashisuji-Rokuchome you may be able exit subway Umeda Stn. with your ticket in hand to enter back into Higashi-Umeda, but you need to be quick about it. First, go to the ticket gate of Umeda Stn., but don't put your ticket through the ticket wicket because it will eat it up and you'll never get it back. Instead, show it to the attendant at the window and in your most overbearing accented Japanese say "Higashi-Umeda, Tenjinbashisuji-Rokuchome." If it worked, you'll be allowed to leave the station with your ticket in hand. Now follow the signs and go straight to Higashi-Umeda Stn., show your ticket to the attendant there and again say "Tenjinbashisuji-Rokuchome." If that works, he'll wave you through and you can be on your merry way. However, be careful. If too much time has elapsed since you bought the ticket, you may not be allowed though.

The Tanimachi Line also has a direct connection in the south with Tennoji Stn. It takes longer, but you can jump on the subway there and go straight to Tenjinbashisuji-Rokuchome Stn. in a little under 20 minutes.

Getting Your Bearings at Tenjinbashisuji-Rokuchome Station

This should be easy enough. Follow the signs and go out Exit 11. This exit comes out on kind of a diagonal so you want to go straight ahead slightly to your left down the main street. Keep walking and you'll come to the bridge.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Map courtesy of Google Maps

At the north end of the bridge you can do one of two things. One is walk back the way you came. The other is continue just a little further north and jump on one of two Hankyu lines. The closest is Kunijima Stn., useful for heading south back to Tenjinbashisuji-Rokuchome Stn. if you don't feel like walking. Just a little further on is Sozenji Stn. on the Hankyu Kyoto Main Line. This will get you to Ibaraki-shi Stn., which we visited in a previous post here:

http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/ii-ibarakidoji-sugatami-bridge-or.html

Sozenji Stn. is a local station that is accessed by underground passages. It can take you further east toward Kyoto or back to Umeda.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Getting to Daiganji Temple

The starting point on the Midosuji subway line is Shin-Osaka Stn. Our destination is Higashi-Yodogawa Stn. on the JR Line. Higashi-Yodogawa Stn. is a big fat one minute by train from Shin-Osaka. If you prefer, you can do a Google map search for the temple or Higashi-Yodogawa Stn. and walk about six blocks or so north from Shin-Osaka if it's a fine day.

Shin-Osaka Stn. itself is a very long station complex with the subway station on one end, Shinkasen (or bullet train) in the middle, and the regular JR station on the other. The Shinkansen is also operated by JR, but which is which will be clearly marked. You're probably not going to "just" accidentally get on a bullet train, so in any case you should be fine.

At Shin-Osaka, follow the signs to the JR lines. If coming via the subway this will take a good five minutes. Higashi-Yodogawa Stn. is just one stop, and anything faster than a local train will shoot right past it. If you get on the train and the next stop is Osaka Stn., you've gone in the opposite direction. If you find yourself traveling for more than one minute and end up at Ibaraki Stn. or Takatsuki Stn., you've accidentally taken a faster service.

Getting Your Bearings at Higashi Yodogawa Station

Go out the West Exit. West will be on your left if you're traveling up from Shin-Osaka Stn. It is then a short walk to the temple.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Behind the temple on a different block is the Nagara Human Sacrifice Monument.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Image courtesy of Google Maps

If you are feeling super keen, you can walk about another five minutes north along the railway tracks up to the only bridge on or near the site of the original Nagarabashi. This bridge is called the Ofukibashi Bridge and the river it spans is the Kanzakigawa River.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

In case you missed it, here is the link to Part 1:
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/09/iv-nagarabashi-bridge-and-daigan-ji.html


Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/

The Master List (Osaka)
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html

(historical) "Human Pillar" Human Sacrifice (人柱 or "Hitobashira")
Site: Daigan-ji Temple (大願寺)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Higashi-Yodogawa Stn. (東淀川駅)
Google Map Search: "Daigan-ji Temple Yodogawa" or  "Daigan-ji Temple Osaka" - There are several temples named "Daigan-ji" in Japan, so perhaps cross reference the location with Higashi-Yodogawa Stn.

(yokai/historical) Hashihime (橋姫), local variant; "Human Pillar" Human Sacrifice (人柱 or "Hitobashira")
Site: Nagarabashi Bridge (長柄橋)
Nearest Station: (Subway) Tenjinbashisujirokuchome Stn. (天神橋筋六丁目駅) coming from the south; or (Hankyu Line) Sozenji Stn. (崇禅寺駅) coming from the north. Kunijima Stn. (柴島駅), on a different Hankyu Line, lies more-or-less next to Sozenji Stn., but you will probably find it less convenient if you plan to travel back to Umeda or onward into Kyoto.
Google Map Search: Try "Eneos Nagarabashi SS," which is a service station south of the bridge. If you follow the road the service station is situated on (Tenjinbashisuji), the river you come to is the Yodogawa River and the bridge is the Nagarabashi Bridge.

iv. Nagarabashi Bridge (長柄橋) and Daigan-ji Temple (大願寺) Part 1

Location (Nagarabashi): Tenjinbashi-suji (near subway Tenjinbashisuji-Rokuchome Stn.), Osaka City; about 2 minutes from Osaka (Umeda) + 12 minutes walking time

Location (Daigan-ji): Higashi-Mikuni, Yodogawa Ward (near JR Line Higashi-Yodogawa Stn.), Osaka City, 3 km or just under 2 miles north of Nagarabashi; about 2 minutes from Osaka (Shin-Osaka) + 2 minutes walking time, longer if you're going walk to the river.

Associated with: A local Hashihime legend; and a type of human sacrifice known as "human pillar" or "hitobashira"

I thought this one would be easy and straightforward. A bridge in the city, just walk over it. No sweat, right? Well that part was easy enough, but the tough part came in trying to confirm the origin of the Hashihime legend. The story of the Hashihime of Uji involved a woman's burning desire for revenge, and an elaborate and evoking ritual. The Hashihime of Nagarabashi seems to have been more about death and loss.

The legend I'll begin with is a little more odd and disturbing than the average folk tale. It goes something like this:

A man wearing light yellow hakama trousers, scuffed at the knees with white linen patches, was passing by with his wife and child. While stopping to rest at the building site, he mused, "For this bridge, they should make a human sacrifice of a man wearing light yellow hakama trousers, scuffed at the knees with white linen patches."

I imagine this is when the man comically glances down and realizes what he has on. Nothing funny about happens next though:

The foreman heard this and had the man, his wife, and his child buried alive. The wife sang as she was cast in.

According to this tale, the wife then becomes a Hashihime and is enshrined not far from the bridge. Things get a bit complicated from here, but let me just quickly point out now that unlike the Hashihime Shrine in Uji, this shrine no longer exists.

Okay, so what's going on here? The tale appears to be a tangle of various accounts of human sacrifice. Yet it also appears to be the case that a man was indeed sacrificed for the successful construction of the Nagarabashi Bridge.

Let's start with the man. History has recorded him to be a fellow by the name of Iwa or Iwa-uji, a wealthy but pious fellow who lived in the Tarumi District of Suita. From the dates we can assume he was living there at the turn of 7th century. He is said to have willingly given his life to aid in the construction of the Nagara Bridge for the benefit of the community. (I also read a brief account that he did not sacrifice himself, but instead may have offered up a favorite male servant.)

Now why is anybody giving their life (or favorite male servant's life) to aid the construction of anything? Complex works projects, especially those involving water in some way, could be plagued with problems. Building something like a dam or a bridge is difficult at the best of times. Repeated failure to set a proper foundation, mount pillars, etc., sometimes led people to think that they may have been facing supernatural opposition rather than technological disadvantage. A human sacrifice was then on occasion made to placate this opposition via an unpleasant, nay, terrifying form of human sacrifice known as hitobashira or "human pillar" sacrifice, one involving burying alive the victim-offering directly into a foundation or river bed. Not all hitobashira sacrifices were necessarily done so deliberately. Casualties of the difficult construction process might be framed as hitobashira after the fact.

The nonsense about the man's very specific type of trousers is probably just a flourish added to the story, but we do have the account of Gensuke, a man who unwillingly was sacrificed for the construction of the Ohashi Bridge in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. During construction it was decided that the first person to pass wearing their hakama trousers a certain way would be the one sacrificed, and poor Gensuke ended up being the fashion victim. This kind of "cruel or ironic lottery" element is in more than a few human sacrifice tales, and Gensuke's sacrifice appears to be the basis for this (or at least the most famous among such tellings).

Eigyoku, c 1910-20 (Source: Japanese Art Open Database, http://www.jaodb.com/ via http://ukiyo-e.org)

The wife or woman and child come from an account of a human sacrifice for a bridge being built across another Nagara River, again in a different part of the country. It looks as if our fellow Iwa was the only one actually sacrificed here, though we do have another account of his wife throwing herself into the river afterward. The better known telling does not have his wife quite so overcome with grief, but dealing with loss in a different way:

Upon the repeated failure to span a bridge over the River Nagara, Iwauji of Tarumizu Village told the authorities that the human-post was the only way to lay the foundation of the bridge, and so he was buried alive to serve as one. He was survived by a daughter, whom her mother told to pretend to be dumb when she married the son of a squire. Because he found her to be dumb, the squire took her [back] to her mother's, when on their way to the village of Tarumizu he shot a pheasant which had cried out. "As with my father, who would have been spared if he kept silent, so the pheasant would not have been killed had it been silent," so the bride expressed her sorrow for the ill-fated bird in a poem. Her bridegroom was happy that after all she was not dumb and took her back to his own home where they lived happy till they grew old.

- From "We Japanese," Frederic de Garis and Atsuharu Sakai

Through a very convoluted mix of tales, it is the wife/mother who remains the candidate for the Hashihime in this local variant, perhaps as a surrogate or place holder for a water deity that had been the subject of traditional worship in the area. Unfortunately, the shrine no longer exists. So what's left to do?

Iwa-uji is still remembered in Daigan-ji Temple (formerly Hashimoto Temple) and in the Nagara Human Sacrifice Monument just north of it. It was here that the original Nagarabashi was thought to span the Kanzakigawa River from Higashi-Mikuni to Suita. Did you catch that? The current Nagarabashi is not the same bridge, it's not in the same area, and it's spanning a completely different river. It's now about 3 kilometers (or just under 2 miles) south of Daigan-ji. So what do we do?

Comments: I haven't come this far not to give you directions to the bridge! If you like long bridges then by all means go and check it out. It is kind of at the north end of the Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street, which is the longest shotengai style shopping arcade in Japan. Along the shopping arcade are a few sites of interest, one of which is Osaka Tenmangu Shrine. If you're well into your trip, there is a good chance that you are already shotengai-ed and shrine-ed out, in which case I recommend doing something else.

Daigan-ji Temple though appears more interesting than I thought at first glance. The Sacrifice Monument is one block north of the temple and off the map, so that's a nice tidbit to check out. Higashi-Yodogawa Stn. is also just six blocks north of Shin-Osaka Stn., so if your hotel is in the Shin-Osaka area and you have a few hours to spare, this trip is totally doable.

Be sure to read Part 2 for directions to each site:
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/09/iv-nagarabashi-bridge-and-daigan-ji_17.html


Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/

The Master List (Osaka)
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html

(historical) "Human Pillar" Human Sacrifice (人柱 or "Hitobashira")
Site: Daigan-ji Temple (大願寺)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Higashi-Yodogawa Stn. (東淀川駅)
Google Map Search: "Daigan-ji Temple Yodogawa" or  "Daigan-ji Temple Osaka" - There are several temples named "Daigan-ji" in Japan, so perhaps cross reference the location with Higashi-Yodogawa Stn.

(yokai/historical) Hashihime (橋姫), local variant; "Human Pillar" Human Sacrifice (人柱 or "Hitobashira")
Site: Nagarabashi Bridge (長柄橋)
Nearest Station: (Subway) Tenjinbashisujirokuchome Stn. (天神橋筋六丁目駅) coming from the south; or (Hankyu Line) Sozenji Stn. (崇禅寺駅) coming from the north. Kunijima Stn. (柴島駅), on a different Hankyu Line, lies more-or-less next to Sozenji Stn., but you will probably find it less convenient if you plan to travel back to Umeda or onward into Kyoto.
Google Map Search: Try "Eneos Nagarabashi SS," which is a service station south of the bridge. If you follow the road the service station is situated on (Tenjinbashisuji), the river you come to is the Yodogawa River and the bridge is the Nagarabashi Bridge.

iii. Rashomon (羅城門) or "Ibarakidoji" Part 3

Location: Minami Ward (near Toji Stn., Kintetsu Line), Kyoto City; about 40 min. from Osaka or about 2 min. from Kyoto + about 10 min. walking time; more time if you're going to visit the Saiji ruins.

Associated with: The legend of Ibarakidoji ("The Ogre of Rashomon"); and the Genjo

In our last installment Ibarakidoji peered into the water from the Sugatami Bridge, coming face-to-face both figuratively and literally with his demon self. Faced with a choice, Ibarakidoji took the red pill and made his way northwest to Kyoto, teaming up with Shutendoji and his band of demon brigands and ultimately becoming Shutendoji's right-hand deputy (or lover, depending on the account). Because someone might find it useful, I'll list the demons here:

Shutendoji
Ibarakidoji
Kumadoji
Torakumadoji
Hoshikumadoji
Kanagumadoji

Children of the 90s may recognize the suffix "doji" from a certain infamous series of anime. All coming together, isn't it?

Shutendoji was by far the biggest and meanest of the bunch, and has the distinction of being one of the "Three Great Evil Yokai." Shutendoji will appear in his own entries in time, but cutting a long story short, after the band caused havoc rampaging the capital, it was decided that something should be done about it. Commander Raiko (Minamoto no Yorimitsu) was able to confuse and confront the demons in their lair on Mt. Oe with a squad especially assembled to deal with the menace. In the party were Raiko's retainers, nicknamed the "The Four Guardian Kings." These were:

Sakata no Kintoki (i.e. Kintaro)
Urabe no Suetake
Usui Sadamitsu
Watanabe no Tsuna

The demons were massacred, but somehow Ibarakidoji managed to escape undetected. It was only later after the report of evil doings at Rashomon that Ibarakidoji was found to have survived (and for all we know perhaps survives to this day in an old demon's home).

The story splits here, but in one telling, Watanabe no Tsuna while on a kind of "bravery test" encounters Ibarakidoji at Rashomon and severs the demon's arm in the confrontation.

Katsukawa Shunsho, c 1770 (Source: Art Institute of Chicago, http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/ via http://ukiyo-e.org)

How about the Genjo? Well the Genjo was kind of an enchanted lute (biwa), greatly prized by Emperor Murakami (r. 946-967). Unfortunately this prized possession was stolen. Some time after, however, its music could be heard coming from the top of Rashomon. The virtuosity of the one playing it was thought to have been too good for a mere mortal, and that he or she demonstrating their prowess on the genjo was surely a demon. There were no "Guardian Kings" around to take care of this one. Instead, nobleman and musical virtuoso Minamoto no Hiromasa was on hand to be just brave enough to shout out something not quite like, "That's not yours, give it back?" He flinched at what descended from the rooftop, but it was just the Genjo tied to a rope! Phew!

Photo Credit: Gragma's Yokai Tourbus

Let me get right to it. Rashomon is a stone marker in a children's playground. Not an Akira Kurosawa-themed playground, but a bare-bones, town-planning kind of playground. It's the greatest no-thing you'll ever visit. Rashomon collapsed in 980 and has since been thought of as a symbol of degradation, so it would be odd to see Rashomon looking perfect and restored. In that sense, a stick in the ground is fitting.

Instead, a trip to Rashomon will make you thankful for what does remain, and will give you a feel for what the old Heian capital was like. Rashomon was the central southern gate of the old city, so when you visit it you'll actually be traveling along the old southern border and experience what's left of it (and what's not).

Flanking the Rashomon of old were two great companion temples: Saiji in the west and Toji in the east. These temples were two of only three Buddhist temples allowed in the original city layout, and out of all three only one remains: Toji. It is possible to see the great temple of Toji on your way to Rashomon, and if you're game to walk a little further, you can visit the ruins of Saiji. Neither Rashomon or Saiji will come up on a map, so again these locales are not regularly visited. What's more, this is a trip you can take even if you have just a few hours in Kyoto.

Comments: With Toji in the mix and it being such a central location, this is not a bad deal at all. The temple opens at 8:30, so depending on how "thorough" your visit is you could easily do the entire trip in a morning, and certainly one afternoon would be more than ample time.

Getting There

The starting point on the Midosuji subway line is Umeda Stn. Our destination is Toji Stn. on the Kintetsu Line.

Umeda Stn. lies next to Osaka Stn., a large hub of intersecting JR lines. From subway Umeda, follow the signs directing you to JR Osaka Stn. Unlike Umeda, there is only one "Osaka" station, but south there is another JR station called Kitashinchi. Though you'll likely find Osaka Stn. with your eyes closed, if you are following "JR" signs  and you've been walking for longer than 5 minutes or so there is a small possibility you've made a wrong turn. I again want to point out that we're starting at subway Umeda Stn. to keep it in line with our Midosuji Line-centered travel, but if you are staying in the Osaka Stn. area or near a station on the loop line, you obviously needn't worry about the subway for this trip.

As for Osaka Stn., it's a big one so take your time finding your platform. The longest that you'll wait for a train leaving for Kyoto is 10 minutes, so don't rush and don't stress out. Just take your time to follow the signs and directions to the platform and you will be fine.

As for Kyoto Stn., it's on the Kyoto Line stretch of the Tokaido Main Line. The Tokaido Line continues past Osaka Stn. and Kyoto Stn., but the sections of it are named differently according to its location. The Kyoto Line operates in combination with the Biwako Line (and JR Kobe Line in the opposite direction). This means a train service will likely not terminate at Kyoto Stn. but continue uninterrupted on the next stretch of line. So, for example, trains at Osaka Stn. leaving for Nagahama, Maibara or Yasu, will all stop without fail at Kyoto Stn. as they are all on the Tokaido Main Line past Kyoto. In other words, you need to look for trains going in the direction of Kyoto or trains stopping at Kyoto, as the train services won't necessarily be labeled as "Kyoto Trains" because they almost certainly won't be terminating there.

Take the shinkaisoku, or special rapid service train from Osaka. You can also take the kaisoku, or rapid service train, but it will add more time to your trip. If it's a consideration, the kaisoku is a bit easier to get a seat on compared to the the special rapid service. At Kyoto Station you need to then change to the Kintetsu Line. Kintetsu is a different train company, so what you're doing is going through the ticket gates and moving to a different part of the station complex, rather than just changing platforms. Kyoto Stn. though is the terminus for this Kintetsu line and you're only going one stop. All services except the Limited Express stop at Toji Stn., so you can get on just about any train and not worry about the direction.

Getting Your Bearings at Toji Station

There is only one exit at Toji Stn. and it should bring you out onto a large street (Kujo Dori). Take a right (west) onto the street and you're on your way. Toji is just a little way down on your right. The large pagoda will give it away!

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Rashomon is a little further west. By going a block north (see the map below), finding the children's playground should be a bit easier, and using Google Street View for visual cues is also a bit better along this route.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Image courtesy of Google Maps

If you're interested in visiting the Saiji ruins, get there from Rashomon by following the map below. The stone marker in the middle of the park is what you think it is. Though there is nothing much to look at here, contrast it with what you just saw at Toji. Its western twin once stood here. As you can see, the park is smaller than the original site. Some of the surrounding buildings such as the elementary school immediately south of the park now lie on the former Saiji grounds.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

If you're feeling spry, it's possible to walk from Kyoto Stn. to Toji in about 15 minutes or so. Here's another map to help you.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Information on Toji

Toji is open from 8:30 until 16:00 (Sept. 20 to March 19) and 8:30 until 17:00 (March 20 to Sept. 19). Entrance fees vary, but depending on the time of year you may be able to enter the ground-level floor of the pagoda. Pagodas are generally kept shut, so if it's open when you visit consider taking the opportunity to go inside. The temple also holds markets on the 21st of every month, and an antiques market on the first Sunday of the month. In short: hoo-ray!


Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/

The Master List (Kyoto)
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html

(yokai) Ibarakidoji (茨木童子)
Site: Rashomon (羅城門)
Nearest Station: (Kintetsu Line) Toji Stn. (東寺駅)
Google Map Search: NA