Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
oughly and at a leisurely pace, mixing some hiking with your temple-viewing, you will
need at least half a day.
The subtemple
Sampō-in
(admission ¥600)
is a fine example of the amazing opulence of
that period. The Kanō paintings and the garden are special features.
From Sampō-in it's a steep and tiring 50-minute climb up to Kami Daigo. To get here,
walk up the large avenue of cherry trees, through the Niō-mon gate, out the back gate of
the lower temple, up a concrete incline and into the forest, past the pagoda.
To get to Daigo-ji, take the Tōzai line subway east from central Kyoto to the Daigo
stop, and walk east (towards the mountains) for about 10 minutes. Make sure that the train
you board is bound for Rokujizō, as some head to Hama-Ōtsu instead. Admission to the
grounds is free most of year but during the cherry-blossom and autumn-foliage seasons it
costs ¥600.
Fushimi
Fushimi, home to 37 sake breweries, is one of Japan's most famous sake-producing re-
gions. Its location on the Uji-gawa made it a perfect location for sake production, as fresh,
high-quality rice was readily available from the fields of neighbouring Shiga-ken and the
final product could be easily loaded onto boats for export downriver to Osaka.
Despite its fame, Fushimi is one of Kyoto's least-attractive areas. It's also a hard area to
navigate due to a lack of English signage. It's probably only worth a visit if you have a
real interest in sake and sake production.
To get to Fushimi, take a local or express train (not a limited express) from Sanjō Sta-
tion on the Keihan line to Chūshojima Station (¥260, 20 minutes). Alternatively, you can
take the Kintetsu Kyoto line from Kyoto Station to Momoyama-Goryōmae Station (¥250,
11 minutes). You'll find a useful map on a pillar outside Chūshojima Station that you can
use to orient yourself.
GEKKEIKAN SAKE ŌKURA MUSEUM
( 623-2056; Fushimi-ku, Minamihama-chō 247; adult/child ¥300/100; 9.30am-4.30pm; 10min walk from
Chūshojima Station, Keihan line)
The largest of Fushimi's sake breweries is Gekkeikan, the
world's leading producer of sake. Although most of the sake is now made in a modern fa-
cility in Osaka, a limited amount is still handmade in a Meiji-era
sakagura
(sake brewery)
here in Fushimi.
| MUSEUM
