Enkoin

Enkōin 円光院 was at first in Isawa and called "Seikōin 清光院", which was built in Hōgen era 保元年間 (1156-1159) . Then it was renamed "Jōjuin 成就院." In 1560, Takeda Shingen moved and reconstructed it in the current location. When his wife Sanjo-fujin 三条夫人 passed away in 1570, it was renamed "Zuiganzan 瑞巖山 Enkō-goji-zen-in 円光護持禅院" after her posthumous Buddhist name. Her grave is in it.




Hondō 本堂


A bell tower 鐘楼


Priest's quarters 庫裏


Kōfu basin 甲府盆地

Takeda Shingen's gravestone is in the vicinity of the temple. It is said that he passed away at Ina 伊那, Nagano in 1573 and he was cremated at the place near Enkōin. Then his cremains were buried at Erinji 恵林寺 in Kōshū city. Before his death, he had ordered his following to keep his death a secret for three years. Stories founded on it are played out in Kagemusha 影武者 by Akira Kurosawa 黒澤明.

■ Enkoin's Official Web Site (Japanese version only)

View Enkōin 円光院 & A gravestone of Shingen 信玄の墓所 on Google My Maps

■ Refer to Kofu-Gozan & Kai Zenkoji and Kai Pilgrimage

■ Reference Data
・Wikipedia
・Yamanashi Shinpō newspaper's site on Kai Hyakuhachi Reijō

Katsuyori and Hosenji

Hōsen(zen)ji 法泉(禅)寺 was built in 1330 by Takeda Nobutake 武田信武 (1292-1359). He invited Gesshū zenji 月舟禅師 who was one of the leading disciples of Musō Soseki 夢窓疎石 (1275-1351), also known as Musō Kokushi 夢窓国師, as the resident priest*. This temple is famous for the tomb of Takeda Katsuyori 武田勝頼 (1546-1582). After Shingen's death (1573), Katsuyori took over as head of the Takeda's family, but the clan was defeated by the coalition troops of Oda Nobunaga 織田信長 and Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康 at the Battle of Nagashino 長篠の戦い (1575) and then was declining. In 1582, Katsuyori, the family and the remaining subordinates suffered defeat to the combined forces at the Battle of Temmokuzan 天目山の戦い and he and his family commited suicide. Then Nobunaga ordered to put Katsuyori's head on public display at the Rokujō-gawara 六条河原 (known as an execution ground) in Kyoto. Kaigaku 快岳, the resident priest of Hōsenji at the time, knew that and brought the head back to the temple. And he built Katsuyori's tomb.
*Gesshū declined to be Kaizan, the first resident priest, of Hōsenji, asked his master Soseki to be it and became the second.


Shōrōmon 鐘楼門, built in 1636.


Garden lanterns and Hondō 本堂, built in 1680.


One of 16 Arhat Statues


Kongōfukujusan 金剛福聚山



■ Hosenji's Official Web Site (Japanese version only)

■ View Kongōfukujusan Hōsenzenji 金剛福聚山 法泉禅寺 on Google My Maps

■ Refer to Kofu-Gozan & Kai Zenkoji and Kai Pilgrimage

■ Reference Data
・Hosenji's Official Web Site
・Wikipedia

AJISAI flower

Shot at my garden

Ajisai あじさい 紫陽花(hydrangeas) are flowers, which please our eyes, in rainy season. And just today, the Meteorological Agency announced that rainy season had started in Yamanashi prefecture.

I'll introduce some beauty spots in Yamanashi.

***** Nanbu Hydrangea Festival 南部あじさい祭り *****
The festa is held at Utsubuna Kōen (Park) うつぶな公園 in middle & late June every year in Nanbu-chō 南部町. This year it'll be held from June 13 to 22 . We'll see 70 species & about 25 thousand blooms, brought up by volunteers. The admission fee is 200 yen (Showing the ticket, you can be admitted as many times as you wish during the festa. / Middle school age and under are free of charge). Shuttle buses will run between Utsubuna Station and the park from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sat & Sun only（June 13，14，20，21).
View 南部あじさい祭り Hydrangea Festival in Nanbu-cho on YOUTUBE, shot by Yamanashi "Home of Mt.Fuji" Sightseeing Net 富士の国やまなし観光ネット
The blog : Minobu Hatsu 身延発　by Taku Taichō 拓隊長 (Japanese version only) shows various kinds of Hydrangea at Utsubuna Park. According to Taku Taichō, the flowers are in the early half-bloom stage right now.

***** Myōhōji temple 妙法寺 (in Masuho-chō 増穂町) *****
The temple has been called "Ajisai Dera (hydrangea temple)" as a term of endearment and we'll be able to see 20 thousand blooms at the peak of their beauty in the temple grounds. Every year, Ajisai Festa is held at the temple. This year, it'll be scheduled for from June 27 to July 5. Something like an admission fee, which is called "Ajisai administrative & raising cost", is 200 yen.
View Ajisai Festival at Komurosan-Myōhōji 小室山妙法寺あじさい祭り on YOUTUBE, shot by Yamanashi "Home of Mt.Fuji" Sightseeing Net 富士の国やまなし観光ネット

***** Hōkōji temple 放光寺 *****
The temple is in Enzan, Kōshū city and famous as the temple of flower. This year the best time to see the flowers will be from middle June. The admission fee is Adult : 300 yen / Child (elementary school student) : 100 yen.
The site of visitor center in the city

***** Keitokuin temple 景徳院 *****
The temple is in Yamato-cho, Kōshū city. This year the best time to see the flowers will be from early July.
The site of visitor center in the city

View Ajisai map on Google My Maps

EDIT
***** Tenjōyama Ajisai Kōen 天上山あじさい公園 *****
About 100 thousand ajisai flowers will bloom along walking trails at the top of Tenjōyama(otherwise known as Mt. Kachi Kachi) from middle July to middle August. You can reach the mountain's top by riding a ropeway from the east shores of Lake Kawaguchi. One way cost of the ropeway for adult is 400yen, for children is 200 yen. The round-trip cost for adult is 700 yen, for children is 350 yen. The operating hours : 9：00～17：20 (in summer season)*Operating hours vary seasonally.　On a sunny day, you may be able to see Mt.Fuji from there.
・The brochure of Lake Kawaguchiko Mt. Tenjo Ropeway (PDF)
View Hydrangea of heavens mountain (Tenjōyama) promenade 天上山遊歩道のアジサイ on YOUTUBE, shot by Yamanashi "Home of Mt.Fuji" Sightseeing Net 富士の国やまなし観光ネット

- PHOTOS on the web -
・"Mt.Fuji, Yamanashi kachi-kachiyama ropeway" taken by miwa**, on Flickr
・"Frozen Fuji" taken by thoth037, on Flickr
・"Fuji-yama with Clouds, an Infrared View" taken by aeschylus18917, on Flickr
・"Kawaguchiko" taken by art.reyu, on Flickr

Chuo Line

"Super Azusa", shot by DD51612. This work is licensed under a GNU Free Documentation License.

When you come from Narita (international airport) or Tokyo to Yamanashi, it is convenient to use the railway of Chūō Line (Chūō Main Line) and highway express buses.

The Chūō Line runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, but it is much slower than Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Tōkaidō Main Line because it runs through the mountain region. Kōfu can be reached in about one hour and a half by the Limited Express "Azusa", "Super Azusa" or "Kaiji" train from Shinjuku Station, which is main connecting hub for rail traffic between central Tokyo and its western suburbs and Yamanashi & Nagano Pref. With luck, you might be able to see beautiful scenery from a train window.

There are many tunnels on the railway, some of them are more than 100 years old. Therefore, some old ones was replaced with another new ones. And now one of unused tunnels has been reborned as "Katsunuma Tunnel Wine Cave 勝沼トンネルワインカーヴ".