Shrine: Iwashimizu Hachimangu

== Introduction ==
859年、男山山上に石清水八幡宮が総建されて以来、この森林は、男山の歴史のなかで育まれ、今日、石清水八幡宮の本殿等の歴史的遺産と一体となって立派な天然林となっています。- 山上案内板より -
Since 859, Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine was established on the Mt. Otokoyama, this forest has grown up in the history of the mountain. Today, it is fine natural forest together with historical heritage such as the main hall of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine. - Guide board on the mountain -
Some of big camphor trees are more than 600 - 700 years old. There are more than 800 kinds of plant such as Quercus glauca (Japanese Blue Oak), Camellia japonica, Cleyera japonica, Aucuba japonica, Castanopsis cuspidata, Phyllostachys edulis, Japanese timber bamboo, and so on.
The forest is designated as a “National Historic Site” and as one of Kyoto Prefecture’s “Historic Nature Conservation Areas”. We can see many rare plants and animals there.
===== Kyoto Prefecture Web Site =====
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/shizen-kankyo/hozen02.html
===== English Guide Map of Iwashimizu Hachimangu =====
http://www.iwashimizu.or.jp/other/image/english/map_english_20161020.pdf
== 男山: Mt. Otokoyama ==
男山: Mt. Otokoyama (literally male mountain) in 八幡市:Yawata City is the south-west of Kyoto City. The south-west is believed as 裏鬼門: the back demon's gate. It is the holly mountain that protects Kyoto Basin.
八幡 [Yahata/Yawata] means eight banners, believed as a sign of the birth of the divine protector. His symbolic animal and messenger is the dove. Mt. Otokoyama has another name, 鳩ヶ峰(はとがみね[Hato ga Mine]: the top of the dove).
We can go to the top of the dove by a cable-car, though it is 142 meters high. Of course, we can walk up and down along the mossy stone steps, like Roronoa's green head.
Yawata city was a important point for transportation where three of major rivers (the Kizu, Uji, and Katsura) in Kyoto meet and become the Yodo river, flowing south to Osaka. Boats were the most important method for shipping and travel before train network.
At the observation platform on the mountain, we can see the mountains surrounding Kyoto Basin, such as 比叡山: Mt. Hiei, the keeper of the north-east demon's gate, or 愛宕山: Mt. Atago, the fireproof. Most of the people and shop keepers in Kyoto have an amulet paper for fireproof of Mt. Atago in their kitchen.
===== Google map =====
https://goo.gl/maps/B22Xexpm4Fw
== 石清水八幡宮: Iwashimizu Hachimangu ==
石清水八幡宮(いわしみず　はちまんぐう [Iwashimizu Hachimanguu]) was a typical shrine-temple complex such as 南無八幡大菩薩(なむ　はちまん　だいぼさつ [Namu Hachiman Dai-bosatsu]), before Meiji Government tried to separate Buddhist temples from Shinto shrines.
===== 石清水八幡宮: Iwashimizu Hachimangu =====
http://www.iwashimizu.or.jp/top.php
===== Iwashimizu Hachimangū =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwashimizu_Hachimang%C5%AB
This shrine is dedicated to 八幡大神(はちまん　おおかみ[Hachiman Ookami]: literally the great deity of eight banners), the divine protector of Japan. 
They are officially 応神天皇(おうじん　てんのう[Oujin Tennou]), the 15th Japanese Emperor Ojin, his mother 神功皇后(じんぐう　こうごう[Jingu Kogo]), Empress Jingu, and 比売神(ひめがみ[Hime-gami]), three female tutelary deities of 宇佐(うさ[Usa]) area. Sometimes, other deities join them as Hachiman deity.
The main head shrine for Hachiman is 宇佐八幡宮(うさ　はちまんぐう[Usa Hachimanguu]) at 宇佐(うさ[Usa]) in Oita Prefecture of Kyushu. It is also called 宇佐神宮(うさ　じんぐう[Usa Jinguu]).
===== 宇佐八幡宮: Usa Hachimangu =====
http://www.usajinguu.com/index.html
===== Usa Jingū =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usa_Jing%C5%AB
八幡大神[Hachiman Ookami] is known as syncretic divinity of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism. 
===== Hachiman =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachiman
He is also called 八幡さん[Hachiman-san], 八幡神(はちまん　じん[Hachiman-jin]/やはたのかみ[Yahata no kami]) or 八幡大菩薩(はちまん　だいぼさつ[Hachiman Dai-bosatsu]), Hachiman Great Bodhisattva.
== History ==
Originally, they worshiped to enshrine pure spring as a deity that still wells upon Mt. Otokoyama.
石清水[Iwa-Shimizu] means pure water among rocks. Old Iwashimizu Shrine is now one of auxiliary shrines of Hachiman Shrine. The holly spring is said that it won't freeze in winter, it won't dry up in summer.
==== 「吾れ都近き男山の峯に移座して国家を鎮護せん」 ====
In 859, early in the Heian period, 行教和尚[Gyoukyou Oshou], a Buddhist monk of 大安寺[Daian-ji] in the old South Capital (Nara Prefecture) prayed at the Usa Hachimangu shrine in Buzen (Oita Prefecture) and received an oracle, "I will go to the top of Mt. Otokoyama near the capital to protect the country."
清和天皇:Emperor Seiwa in the Capital heard his suggestion and decided to build the hachiman-zukuri style shrine to welcome the deity of Hachiman from Usa Hachimangu shrine there.
===== 大安寺:Daian-ji =====
http://www.daianji.or.jp/
===== Daian-ji =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daian-ji
Daian-ji is one of the Seven Great Temples of the old South Capital. It is said that 聖徳太子[Shoutoku Taishi] founded during the Asuka period. 
Imperial Family and the Court often visited Iwashimizu Hachimangu and prayed for the protection of the nation. 
It was also important for Samurai clans, remarkably 清和源氏[Seiwa Genji], Minamoto clan from Emperor Seiwa.
源義家[Minamoto no Yoshiie], the early Samurai in the late Heian Period, celebrated his coming of age at the shrine and named himself 八幡太郎義家[Hachiman Tarou Yoshiie]. 
Hachiman Tarou is a legendary Samurai admired by both his allies and enemies. For Valour Extraordinary, he has various legends in the history and his story.
In the 11th century, during the middle Heian Period, 安部[Abe] clan who ruled 奥州[Oushuu] (Tohoku district) rebelled the Court and fought against Imperial army lead by Minamoto clan, young Yoshiie and his father 頼義[Yoriyoshi].
That was a long war for nine years.
The army of Abe clan lost the battle of 衣川[Koromo Gawa] river, and the young leader, 安部貞任[Abe no Sadatou] tried to run for the next battle. Yoshiie quickly chased him to shout loudly.きたなくも敵に後ろを見するものかな、しばし返せやAre you OK to show your back to your enemy unseemly? Get back a sec!!Sadatou heard him to stay his horse. Yoshiie called him in a loud voice.衣のたては　ほころびにけりthe warp/shield of the clothes has come apart.As soon as Sadatou heard his last half, he set the first half to settle the poem.年を経し　糸のみだれの　苦しさにAs time goes by, spinning a yarn turns into rough and tough,Yoshiie loosed his tight strong bow and left him.
He was the ancestor of 源頼朝[Minamoto no Yoritomo] who founded 鎌倉幕府[Kamakura Bakufu]: Kamakura shogunate and 足利尊氏[Ashikaga Takauji] who founded 室町幕府[Muromachi Bakubu]: Muromachi shogunate.
===== 源 義家: Minamoto no Yoshiie =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamoto_no_Yoshiie
===== 源 頼朝: Minamoto no Yoritomo =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamoto_no_Yoritomo
===== 足利 尊氏: Ashikaga Takauji =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashikaga_Takauji
One of the big shrine built by Minamoto clan is 鶴岡八幡宮[Tsutugaoka Hachimanguu] in the city of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture.
===== 鶴岡八幡宮: Tsutugaoka Hachimangu =====
https://www.hachimangu.or.jp/
===== Tsutugaoka Hachimangu =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsurugaoka_Hachimang%C5%AB
Since the Kamakura shogunate started in the late 12th century, Samurai clans in the east area of Japan worshiped Tsutugaoka Hachimangu.
==== しづやしづ しづのをだまき くり返し 昔を今に なすよしもがな ====
In the ground of Iwshimizu Hachimangu, there are noted donations by famous Samurai loads, such as a camphor tree by 楠木 正成[Kusunoki Masashige] in the 14th century during the late Kamakura Period, tough wall by 織田 信長[Oda Nobunaga] in the late 16th century during the late Sengoku period., and so on.
===== 楠木 正成: Kusunoki Masashige =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusunoki_Masashige
===== 織田 信長: Oda Nobunaga =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oda_Nobunaga
This camphor tree is 700 years old and designated National Monument.
The present main halls were also maintained well by the top of Samurai loads, such as Nobunaga, his successor 豊臣秀吉[Toyotomi Hideyoshi] and his son, 秀頼[Hideyori], 徳川家光[Tokugawa Iemitsu], the third Shogun of Tokugawa Shogunate in the early 17th century.
===== 豊臣 秀吉: Toyotomi Hideyoshi =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyotomi_Hideyoshi
===== 豊臣 秀頼: Toyotomi Hideyori =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyotomi_Hideyori
===== 徳川 家光: Tokugawa Iemitsu =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Iemitsu
It is considered that Ya-hata (eight banners) were media of many banners for tutelary deities of Usa land and people worshiped them in the ancient times.
During Nara or Heian period, they were regard as the ancient Emperor Ojin and his family. Besides, Imperial court sent them the title of Great Bodhisattva as a divine protector of the country and Buddhism. Moreover, they were regard as an avator of Amitabha Buddha or Gautama Buddha as time went by.
Many Hachiman shrines had been built for their protection all over the country. Today, the number of Hachiman shrines is said 25,000 - 40,000.
Buddhist monks often stayed in the ground of Hachiman shrines. There were some small temples and lodgings in the ground of Iwashimizu Hachimangu, though we can only see the site of them, today.
One of the Buddhist monks was 松花堂昭乗[Shoukadou Shoujou] of 瀧本坊[Takimoto-bou]: small temple beside the waterfall near Iwashimizu shrine during the early Togugawa Shogunate.
===== 松花堂 昭乗: Shokado Shojo =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dkad%C5%8D_Sh%C5%8Dj%C5%8D
He was also a painter, calligrapher and master of the tea ceremony, and one of the "Three brushes of the Kan'ei period" in the 17th century. He retired from Takimoto-bo and built 泉坊[Izumi-bou]: small temple of the spring, known as 松花堂[Shoukadou] to enjoy his friendship.
He was a Shingon Sect Buddhist and his friend 沢庵宗彭[Takuan Souhou] was a Zen Buddhist of Rinzai school.
===== 沢庵 宗彭:Takuan Sōhō =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takuan_S%C5%8Dh%C5%8D
沢庵[Takuan] was a Zen master of the third Shogun, 家光[Iemitsu] and his instructor of swordsmanship and adviser, 柳生 宗矩[Yagyuu Munenori].
===== 柳生 宗矩:Yagyu Munenori =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yagy%C5%AB_Munenori
Now, we are ready for seeing the key of swordsmanship in Japan.
宗矩[Munenori] was the most important swordsman in Japan. He was the top of swordsmen at the beginning of Tokugawa Shogunate, and the only one who became 大名[Daimyou]: feudal lords as a swordsman.
He noted his swordsmanship and thought to refer to the letter from his Zen master, Takuan. His note and Takuan's letter for him had a great influence on Samurai's life after the war age. 
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