Eikeiji
Tosenji
Genkuro Inari Shrine
Jokeiji Temple
Yakuon Hachiman Shrine
Dainagon Zuka
Yamato Minzoku Koen (Yamato Folk Park)
Nara Folk Museum
Yataniimasu Kushitamahiko Shrine
Yata Temple
Jikoin Zen Temple
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Koriyama Castle (Obuse Castle)
Harutsugu Odagiri built this castle in the 16th century, and Junkei Tsutsui remodeled it. Hidenaga Toyotomi expanded it in 1585, using stones from nearby shrines, temples and stone Buddhas. The foundation stones of Rajomon and Buddha of Zuto were used there. In the Edo Era, the Mizunos, Matsudairas, and Hondas became the masters of this castle, and Yoshisato Yanagisawa was the master when the Meiji Era started. We can see stone walls and the moats and the restored Ottemon Gate and Tamonyagura and Higashisumiyagura.
There are many cherry trees on the castle grounds, and there is a cherry blossom festival held every spring. There are many booths that are put up along the street, and people come for hanami, viewing cherry blossoms as they eat and drink or walk around.
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Yanagisawa Shrine
The building was built in 1880 to enshrine Yoshisato Yanagisawa, who was the master of Koriyama Castle at the beginning of the Meiji Era. There are many cherry trees in the garden.
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Eikeiji
Eikeiji is located about 300 meters to southwest of Koriyama Castle. It is a Zen sect temple and the family temple of the Yanagisawas. Yoshiyasu Yanagisawa built it in 1710 in Kai (present Yamanashi Prefecture), and Yoshisato Yanagisawa moved it when he came to Koriyama. The temple structures include the main building (hondo), Kaizando, Bentendo Hojo, Mikagedo, Reihaido, Jizodo, and the bell tower. The main gate was originally the south gate of Koriyama Castle, which was moved to this site.
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Tosenji
Tosenji Temple was moved to its present location by Hoyo Shonin in 1585. There are three Amida Buddha images that are important cultural properties. They are believed to have been made by Kaikei in the Kamakura Era. There is an Akakagi Jizo statue in a small building, which Empress Komyo made to cure very sick people. There is a stone basin in front of it. There was a red light district in front of the temple, and you can see a few houses that have thin wooden slats in front of the house, where women stayed.
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Genkuro Inari Shrine
Hoyo Shonin, who founded Dosenji Temple, enshrined Genkuro Inari in this shrine. It is located next to Dosenji Temple. Genkuro Inarai is a white fox and it was named Genkuro since it helped Yoshitsune Minamoto. It is worshiped by local people in hopes of gaining prosperity and good business.
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Jokeiji Temple
Jokeji Temple was said to have been built between 1624-1644. It is located northwest of Tosenji Temple. The main Buddha image is Amidanyorai, which is about human height and is shiny black, It was made in the early Fujiwara Era, and it was moved from Taima Temple. It is an important cultural property.
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Yakuon Hachiman Shrine
It is said that this shrine was built in the field of medicine plants in the south of Heijokyo in the Nara Era, but it is not sure. The present building looks like it was rebuilt in the Momoyama Era. It is Kasugazukuri and Hiwadabuki.
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Dainagon Zuka
Dainagon is Hidenaga Tyoyotomi, borther of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, who ruled Japan in the late 16th century. He expanded Koriyama Castle and also organized the town according to different professions, such as carpenter town, blacksmith town, cotton town, salt town, etc., and made the town more prosperous. Zuka is a tomb and a few stones are built on the top of the mount surrounded by white walls.
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Yamato Minzoku Koen (Yamato Folk Park)
This park has a folk museum and an open-air museum of old houses. It is 200,000 square meters, and there are flowers and plants, and it is a pleasant place to walk around.
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Nara Folk Museum
Nara Folk Museum has about 20,000 items used for daily life from the Edo Era to the Meiji Era. These items show the culture and customs of the area. There are three sections, cultivating rice, treating tea leaves, and cutting timber in the mountains. They have special exhibit related to the season, such as doll festivals, Tango no Sekku for boys, etc. It has more than 250 videos that visitors can view, showing traditions and customs of this area.
This museum includes one section that is an open-air museum that has several old houses that were moved from various places in Nara Prefecture. Among those several houses, Usui House, which was a shop selling sake and soy sauce, and Iwamoto House, which is a farm house, are well known and are important cultural properties.
Usui House
This town house was originally located in Takatoricho. When it was built is not clear, but judging from the architecture, it is estimated that it was built in the early 18th century.
Takatoricho was a town to surround a castle, and the people who lived there engaged in business and farming. The owner of this house was a big merchant and did business with the owner of the castle. The name of the shop was Iseya, and they sold soy sauce and sake.
The main building is 9 ken (54 feet) wide and 3.5 ken (21 feet deep) with Kiritsumadukuri with a thatched room with two eves with Kawara. There are five rooms with a kitchen. There is a two-story storage building and a well in the back yard.
Iwamoto House
This house was originally located in Muro Village. The owner of the house was a farmer and worked on timber. He served as a shoya, who governed other farmers and collected tax.
The building is 7 ken (42 feet) wide and 5.5 ken (33 feet) deep. It is irimoya dukuri and has a thatched room.
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Yataniimasu Kushitamahiko Shrine
Kushitama Nigihayahinomikoto and Mikashigiyahime are enshrined in this shrine. This is a main shrine in this area. Kushitama Nigihayahinomikoto was an ancestor of the Mononobe Family in Yamataikoku, and Himiko is said to be in this shrine. He flew on Amano Iwafune and shot three arrows to decide where he would live. The second arrow landed in this shrine. Since he flew all over, people associated with planes worship here. There is a propeller on the top of the gate that was donated by the government in 1944 for protecting pilots. The main building was built in the Muromachi Era and is Kasugazukuri and Hiwadabuki. Koriyama City is claiming that Yamatokoku was around here.
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Yata Temple
Yata Temple is located on the middle of Yata Hill, and its official name is Kongosenji Temple, but it is better known as Yata Temple. It was built by Emperor Temmu in 673, and its main Buddha Image was an eleven-faced Kannon. Since the Heian Era, its main Buddha is Jizo. It was well known for its jizo.
After climbing up a long staircase, visitors see a nine ken (54 feet) wide and seven ken (42 feet) deep main building. There are jizo, eleven-faced Kannon, Kisshoten, and Amiidanyurai there. There are a lecture hall, a bell tower, Senbutsudo, and Kasuga Shrine. There are a few buildings where visitors can stay overnight.
In front of the temple, there is a chamise (tea shop) where you can eat Jizodango, a type of sweet that is well known.
Reference
Shimazu, M. (Ed.). (1990). Nara. Tokyo. JTB. (in Japanese)
copyright (2004) S. Kathleen Kitao and Kenji
Kitao
Note: This work was partially funded by the Doshisha University
Computer Research Fund, 2004.
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