We will be introducing the characteristics and history of Kyoto's temples and shrines in this special feature on Kyoto's famous sites. We hope to provide detailed information that will be useful for sightseeing and other occasions. This is the 11th installment, and we will be introducing Yasaka Koshindo and Fudarakuji Temple.

●Yasaka Koshindo

The area around Higashiyama, where Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Kodai-ji Temple are located, is a popular tourist spot for school trips and foreign tourists. If you walk along the narrow tourist road where you can see Yasaka Pagoda, you will find Yasaka Koshin-do, which stands quietly facing a busy street. The locals call it "Yasaka Koshin-san," but its official name is "Daikokusan Enmei-in Kongo-ji." It is an ancient temple built in 960. Koshin-do is a sacred place of Chinese Taoist Koshin faith, and "Koshin" refers to the days of the Chinese zodiac "Kanoe" and "Saru." According to Taoism, there is a bug called Sanshi inside the human body, which is said to escape the body on the night of Koshin and tell the Heavenly Emperor about the person's misdeeds, shortening the person's lifespan. Therefore, it is said that by staying awake all night on the night of Koushin, people would prevent insects from leaving their bodies and thus be cautious in order to not shorten their lifespan.

The first thing you'll notice when you enter the temple grounds are the many colorful amulets hanging here and there. These amulets are made from cloth and are called "tied monkeys," and represent a monkey with its hands and feet tied up so it can't move. The reason the monkeys are tied up is to teach humans the importance of restraining their desires, as the monkeys act on their desires and are unable to move. Everyone has wishes, but sometimes we let our desires run wild in an attempt to make our wishes come true. At times like these, it is the tied monkeys that help us control our minds. It is said that by making a wish to the tied monkey and restraining one desire, the other wishes will come true.

Koshin Night occurs six times a year. On that day, konnyaku cooking is held at Yasaka Koshindo. It is said that the temple's founder cooked konnyaku, offered it to the principal deity, and prayed for his father's recovery from illness, and the father recovered, so the dish began to be served on Koshin Day. The colorful and impactful sight of tied-up monkeys hanging all over the place is rare across the country, so be sure to check it out if you visit Kyoto.

●Fudarakuji Temple

To get to Kurama, located north of Kyoto City, you can take the Eizan Electric Railway Kurama Line, and Ichihara Station is three stops before the last stop, Kurama Station. Ichihara is a peaceful mountain village surrounded by trees in the mountains of Mount Kurama. In the Heian period, it was used as a hunting ground and was a remote area where thieves were known to infest. Near Ichihara Station is a temple called Fudarakuji. As you can see from the stone monument with the words "Komachidera" carved on it at the entrance to the temple along the highway, this is a temple associated with Ono no Komachi, who is famous for being one of the three most beautiful women in the world. There is a culture tower for Ono no Komachi and a well with a mirror for Komachi, but what is surprising is the place where a statue of Ono no Komachi in her later years is enshrined. Next to the main image in the main hall, there is a statue with a sign that reads "Statue of Komachi in Old Age." The old, emaciated woman with visible ribs is said to be Ono no Komachi. Ono no Komachi was a poet in the Heian period who served Emperor Ninmyo. Many men proposed to her in the Imperial Court because of her beauty, but she was not won over by any of them. There is an anecdote about Ono no Komachi called "Hundred Nights of Passing."

When Fukakusa Shosho was deeply in love with Ono no Komachi and courted her, she told him, "If I visit you for 100 nights, we will make a promise." So Fukakusa Shosho traveled the 5km path from Fukakusa, where he lived, to Ono no Komachi, where she lived, every night. Ono no Komachi counted the days by the nuts he brought her each night. However, on the 99th day, a heavy snowfall occurred and Fukakusa Shosho died on the way, nuts still in his hands. Some say that Ono no Komachi sowed the 99 nuts in Ono no Komachi, others say that she planted 99 of those nuts in Ono no Komachi, and then died at the age of 92 while secluding herself in a cave hall and mourning his soul.

At Fudarakuji Temple, next to the Ono no Komachi culture tower, there is a memorial tower for Fukakusa Shosho. According to a story told at this temple, Ono no Komachi, who lived a glamorous life at the Imperial Court and was loved by many men, left the Imperial Court and set off on a journey around the country after the death of the Emperor and Fukakusa Shosho. In her later years, she fell into disgrace, and after her wanderings she arrived at this temple and passed away. Ono no Komachi's remains were left out in the open here, and her skull, which had been abandoned by the roadside, had Japanese pampas grass growing out of the eye holes, and every time the wind blew, the skull continued to cry out in pain. Eshin Sozu, who visited the temple, felt sorry for her and enshrined her remains at the temple, where Ono no Komachi finally attained nirvana. Ono no Komachi's wandering life is said to be associated with places all over the place, from Aomori to Kyushu.

What did you think? We introduced Yasaka Koshindo, which is now a popular tourist spot for taking photogenic photos, and the final resting place of Ono no Komachi, a beautiful woman who left behind many anecdotes. Strolling around Kyoto in a kimono, a place that retains much of the past and present, is sure to leave you with fond memories. If you are considering renting a kimono, be sure to check out VASARA Kimono Rental Kyoto Station store. The store is located inside Kyoto Station, so it is easily accessible and an ideal starting point for sightseeing.

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