NORTHERN AREA
- Takayama area is a known production area of "Chasen" a whisk used for a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. The area holds a 90% national market share as the hometown of the bamboo whisk.
In this region, there are shops that manufacture and sell a variety of bamboo products including bamboo whisks. The winter landscape as seen by visitors depicts hundreds of bamboo rods drying by leaning against each other in a conic shape, which has become a splendid scene of the Takayama winter. Furthermore, with pride, such scenery is considered to be one of the eight beautiful sceneries of Ikoma.
National important cultural assets such as the Takayama "Hachimangu" (Shrine to the God of War) are in this area as well as Kurondo pond, which is blessed as a natural landscape.
In this area, the Takayama "Hachimangu" (Shrine to the God of War) has national important cultural assets and Kurondo pond is blessed with a natural landscape.
In the Kamimachi district, there are such temples as "Chokyuji" which has a main building designated as a National Treasure and "Enshoji" which is affiliated with "Tsutsui Junkei" who was a military (samurai) commander during the war period (1467-1568AD). The two major legends of "Ono no Mayumi Takeyumi" and the origin of Kinshi (Golden Kite) still remain in this area. This area is a romantic and an attractive area with many places with a legend of "Nagasunehiko" who was closely associated with origin of Kinshi and was a powerful family of this area and we can enjoy Japanese history, nature as well as mythology by visiting this area.
IKOMA AREA GUIDE
VISIT SPOTS
THE LEGENDS
The legend of origin of Kinshi (Golden Kite)
"Iwarehiko" ,who later became the Emperor Jinmu, devised that he would determine the center of Japan to be Nara. So he set off to do so from Miyazaki Prefecture some 520km’s away to the West. Upon arriving in Nara, Iwarehiko was met by a powerful family of the area by the name of Nagasunehiko and blazing battle ensued in Kamimachi and in Ikoma Mountains. As legend has it, a golden kite descended and came to rest on Iwarehiko’s bow. The immense glare from the golden kite blinded the armies of Nagasunehiko, forcing him into retreat and furthermore defeat. This is the legend of "Kinshi".
The legend of "Ono No Mayumi Takeyumi"
Another legend of the area goes to a famous clan leader by the name of "Ono No Mayumi Takeyumi" and his son Nagamaro. The father and son went hunting as companions of the Emperor Shomu. Whilst in the forest, a suspicious looking bird shot out, whereby Nagamaro took aim on the moving target. As legend has it, the arrow Nagamaro fired to kill the bird went astray and fatally wounded his father instead. The Emperor Shomu ordered to build a temple (Chokyuji) to pray for the dead. This is the legend of "Ono No Mayumi Takeyumi" and the origin of Chokyuji Temple.
Highlights of the Northern Area
*Click on the images or spot names on the map for more information.
