⛩️ Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine

Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine is located on "Otoko Mountain," and was originally known as Otoko Mountain Hachimangu. "Otoko Mountain" rises beside the Yodo River, where the Katsura River, Uji River, and Kizu River converge, and it was once a strategic location at the border between Kyoto and Osaka. After the establishment of Heian-kyo, in the first year of the Jōgan era (859), Emperor Seiwa, based on a divine oracle, relocated the Hachiman deity from Usa Hachimangu in Kyushu to Otoko Mountain, which later became the second national shrine after Ise Shrine. A shrine is a place for worshiping the ancestors of the imperial family and has long been revered as a protector of the imperial family and the nation. Additionally, after the rise of the Minamoto clan, many military leaders came to worship here seeking victory in battles. Among them, the massive camphor tree donated by Kusunoki Masashige still stands beside the shrine hall, thriving to this day. The main hall is uniquely constructed in the Hachiman-zukuri style, and the existing building was built by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. Furthermore, the Hachiman bamboo growing near the shrine is famous for being used as filaments in Thomas Edison’s invention of the electric light bulb, and a monument to Edison stands within the shrine grounds.

The Hachiman-zukuri shrine building is designated as a national treasure. The "Golden Rain Gutter" is said to have been donated by Oda Nobunaga. The history of "Iwashimizu Hachimangu" can be traced back to before the establishment of Hachiman Shrine. There is an observation deck that offers a view of the Kyoto city area. Inside the approach cable car, you can enjoy the scenery extending from Keihan Station.