Arasiyama and Sagano in Kyoto

Arashiyama is one of the famous and popular sightseeing spots in Kyoto city.
Although it’s famous for the landscape of Togetsu bridge and river, or bamboo forests, I’d like to introduce deep Arashiyama, called Oku-Sagano area.
There is the peaceful scenery like we are in Samurai period remained.

The old Japanese house a poet had lived still stands here in Arashiyama.

 

 

 

The country house a Japanese poet loved.

 

Walking through the bamboo path of Sagano, we reach to the quite wide space of the paddy field with an old Japanese house on the back.
The scenery of the thatch roof takes us to Samurai period.

I was moved by this beautiful scenery when I had been there first time, then it became my favorite walking path when I was a high school student.

 

The old house is called “Rakushi-sha”, it means falling persimmon’s house, where over 40 persimmons tree used to be 300 years ago.
A haiku poet, Kyorai Mukai（1651-1704）, a best disciple of the famous poet, Basho Matsuo (1644-1694) had lived here.

Now it’s sometimes used as the place for the gathering of the haiku poet.
T he tourists also can join making haiku poet by posting it to the small “poet box”.
If it is great, your poet will be on the quarterly magagine “Rakushisha”.

Once I have tried, but unfortunately, it wasn’t selected for a prize.
Maybe I don’t have the talent of making the short poem.

Wildflowers makes you imagine the beautiful words.

 

 
Since all the persimmons fell at just one night, it is called the falling persimmons’ house.
Now we don’t have 40 trees, but still many persimmons grew on the tree of over 300 years’ old in autumn.

Not only the persimmons, but also we have many wildflowers which make poets imagine the beautiful words represent each seasons.
Actually, for haiku short poem, we need a seasonal word for sure such as “persimmon” in autumn, or “sakura” in spring.
“One seasonal word for one poem” is the rule.

I think Japanese poet’s heart is the same as tea ceremony because we often choose seasonal utensil to feel the beautiful moment together with the guests.

Now we can see beautiful hydrangea in the garden of Rakushisha.

It’s the peaceful, calm time just watching the quiet garden in the rainy season.

 

Rakushi-sha

20 hi myo-jin-cho ogurayama saga Ukyo-ku Kyoto

 

 

 

 

The hidden shop of Kimono accessories.

 

Since Deep Sagano was my favorite walking path, I have visited many times alone or with my friends from east Japan.

One of the hidden shop in this rural area I can’t forget is Okusaga-en, 8-10 minutes’ walk from Rakushisha house.

Please remember that they are mainly the shop of the member ship system, but I could buy some cute handmade accessories made of Japanese silk about 10years ago as a first-time customer. They are really high quality and original designs.

I’m sorry I’m not sure they open the shop for tourists or not now, but I’d like to go when I visit Sagano again.

Okusaga-en

20 kosaka-cho Toriimoto Saga Ukyo-ku Kyoto