YAMANOBE NO MICHI: THE PATH OF HISTORY
- José Carlos Gómez Delgado
- Jun 13, 2016
- 4 min read
Yamanobe no michi is a historical route that runs through forests, villages and rice fields at the foot of the mountains of Nara. Created at the beginning of the 7th century, it extends from the mountains in the east of the city of Nara to Sakurai, in the south of the prefecture, covering a total of 26 km. But it is the section from the Isonokami Shrine in Tenri to Sakurai the most popular for walkers, because its 11 kilometers are riddled with remnants of Japanese history. Temples, tombs, memorial stones with engraved poems, shrines and spectacular scenery introduce the walker into the past and place them in communion with nature. The road can easily be done by bike in about three or four hours. There are only a couple of short sections in which the difficulties of the path force to get off the bike and take it a little more calmly.
But let's now walking (or cycling, as was my case) and see one by one the most important points of the route.
TENRI
This small town located 15 kilometers to the south from Nara is the beginning of Yamanobe no michi. Whether you do it walking or cycling is good to start from the shopping arcade in the center of the city, to pass then besides the impressive buildings of the headquarters of the Tenri Church (Tenrikyo), a disjointed school of Buddhism with an enormous popularity, not only in Japan but also in some European countries.
ISONOKAMI JINGU
This sanctuary is specially related to Japanese traditional weapons. It is said that here is preserved a sword offered to the Emperor Jingu by an emissary of the kingdom of Baekje (South Korea), considered a National Treasure. As a fun thing, there are many roosters roam free through the facilities of the sanctuary.
To find the beginning of the Yamanobe road you have to enter the sanctuary and look for the indication to the right.
RUINS OF UCHIYAMA EIKYU-JI TEMPLE
In its heyday it features 52 houses of monks, but it was closed during the anti-Buddhist movements. On the site where the temple was, remains a stone with a tanka poem celebrating the beauty of the cherry blossoms around the temple. Indeed, when I went, the cherry trees along the lagoon were beginning to bloom.
YATOGI SHRINE
Before reaching Yatogi Shrine I stopped to take some photos to a small shrine located on top of a small wooded hill. Yatogi Shrine has an unusual thatched roof building where the four deities of Kasuga Taisha Shrine of Nara are enshined. The torii was transferred from one of the temples attached to the same Kasuga Shrine.
OOYAMATO SHRINE
At this point you have to leave the trail and penetrate a little bit in the city of Nagara to visit this large sanctuary, home of Benishide Dance Festival, held on September 23rd to pray for rain.
TOMB OF EMPEROR SUJIN
Returning to the road, we find several temples, some modern, like that one next to the statue of the monk, and other semi-abandoned, as the shrine next to the playground.
Shortly after is the Tenri Trail Center, where we can rest while drinking a free tea, and grab some maps or information brochure on the route or Tenri area in general.
A short distance from the Center is the Tomb of Emperor Sujin, which can only be seen the mound in the middle of the lake, as often happens with kofun. It is thought to be the oldest tomb of a Japanese emperor. Shortly later it is also the Emperor Keikou's Tomb.
SUMO SHRINE AND HIBARA SHRINE
Here Yamanobe Trail runs along paved roads of pretty villages. Sumo Shrine is where it is said this fighting style was originated. After climbing a steep stretch of road (the only really difficult point for the bike) the trail splits again from the road and goes into the woods. Five minutes later Hibara Shrine is shown. It is one of the auxiliary temples of Oomiwa Shrine, and is dedicated to Amaterasu, Sun Godess.
OOMIWA SHRINE
After a short walk through the forest, where you need to get off the bike because of the difficult terrain, we reach Oomiwa Shrine, that deserves a post itself that I will write next time. This is the oldest shrine in Japan, that is consagrated to the gods of the mountain, represented by an accumulation of rocks placed on top of it. Being a sacred place is forbidden to take pictures.
In the gardens of the sanctuary there was an early bloomed cherry tree. Also nearby you can visit the Byodo-ji Temple, rebuilt after being demolished during the anti-Buddhist movements in the Meiji Period.
SAKURAI
Leaving Omiwa Shrine we are practically in the city of Sakurai, end of the road. Alongside the Hase river is the Monument to the Birth of Buddhism in Japan, introduced from Korea during the reign of Emperor Kinmei.
From here there is a 20 minutes walk to the Sakurai Station. In the case you go cycling is a good idea to get some supplies at a nearby supermarket and have lunch in the pleasant park in the river bank, to start the road back with renewed strength.
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