Former   Residence of   the Yagyu

Clan's   Retainer

(旧柳生藩家老屋敷)

The luxurious Ishigaki (Stone wall) seen on the west side of the road was built by Tenpo 12 (1841) in Ishigaki (at the house of Mr. Oyamada, a former elder( 家老小山田氏 ) who regained the finances of the former Yagyu production). It was passed down to him in 1959, but it soon became the property of author Yamaoka Sohachi( 山岡壮八 ) in 1984.

This place was also used as the location for NHK Taiga drama "Haru no sakamiichi (Spring Slope)" that aired in 1964. It was donated to Nara City by Yamaoka Kenji ( 山岡賢

二 ) and his wife by the will of Mr. Yamaoka Sohachi( 山岡壮八 ) in 1975. Nara City restored this in 1959 and exhibited the document as a part of the main house and released it to the

public. Yagyu Travel association(柳生観光協会) is presently located here.



Yanagi forest

(柳の森)

Yanagi Forest(柳の森) is a place that became the origin of Yagyu. It is said that when someone left a cane, the cane miraculously became a willow tree. Since then, this place has been called the “willow forest(柳の里).”

It is said that"Yagyukyo" (楊生郷) was used in the reformation of Taika.

But, it changed to "Yagyu" (柳生) during an imperial system of the government called 'Kenmu no chuhkou (建武の中興) . Because, the Emperor Godaigo was defeated in the

 

event of war in the Nanboku period.



Jyubei's cedar

(十兵衞杉)

It is believed that Mr.Yagyu Jyubei Mitsuyoshi planted an ancestral graveyard before leaving for a trip.

At the time when the tree was about 350 years old. However this tree died because it was struck by lightning twice. Now, the second tree has been growing sideways.



the ruins of the Yagyuhan

(旧柳生藩陣屋跡)

These are the ruins of the agyuhan(柳生藩), built by Mr.Yagyu Munenori over 3 years (until 1642/Kanei 14).

According to the "Yagyuhan diary", the building area was 452m2(1374 Tsubo/坪) and the front area has a bamboo gate.

The house was extended to maintain later by Mr.Yagyu Munenori.

Unfortunately, the house was completely burned by a fire during 1747,

people tried to rebuild it but somehow disappeared which was due to the system of

Haihan( 廃藩の説明? ) in Meiji.

The remains are kept as a historical park in June 1959.

*tsubo: a measurement used to measure the size of the land in Japan (1 tsubo = 3m 2 )



Yagyu hanashobu(Japanese iris)garden
(柳生花しょうぶ園)

The Yagyu Hanashobu(Japanese iris) Garden (an area about 10,000 m 2 ), located near the ruins of the Yagyu Shrine, will be open for a limited period of time.

There are about 800,000 thousand flowers with about 460 varieties.

There are beautiful blue, purple, white and yellow shrubs and hydrangea bloom entirely

throughout the fields.

Opening / Early to late May Flowering inquiry: 0742-94-0858 

Separately, the details are introduced on the Yagyu Hanashobu garden home page



Mt.Marishiten

(摩利支天山)

The younger brother of Yagyu Jubei, Munefuyu created the Yagyu Yasaka Shrine in Yagyu. He donated a stone torii gate to worship the god of Budo(Marishite/ 摩利支天 ) on the

hill. However, the original gate was already gone.

You can see the relief of Marishitensan which is made of stone since 2009.

You can enjoy the view of the town of Yagyu from the Mt.Marishiten.



Jingozan   Houtokuji   temple
(神護山芳徳禅寺)

You can enjoy a 360 degree view of the village of Yagyu from the Bodhi Temple for Yagyu family: which is located on the top of the mountain.

In the early Edo period (1638), Mr.Yagyu Munenori asked to Takuan osho( 沢庵和尚 ) to build a temple to mourn over his father in the Mt.Jingo.

In the main hall, there are statues of Mr. Yagyu Munenori and Takuan Osho on the left and right side with the Statue of Amida Nyorai in the middle.

In addition, materials related to Yagyu are displayed in the reference room.



The graveyard   for Yagyu 

family(柳生家の墓)

The graveyard of the Yagyu family was originally in Tsukifukisan  Chuguji temple (now Yagyushimocho, Nara City), but was re-embedded with the establishment of Hokutokuji

temple, and 80 of the gravestones of the Yagyu family's generations in the graveyard of Hokutokuji temple.



Masakisaka   Kenzen Dojo

(正木坂剣禅道場)

Just below Hokutokuji temple, there is a Kendo Dojo (practice building) that inherits the

name of Masakisaka Dojo, which is said to have a total of about ten thousand disciples trained by Yagyu Jyubei.

It was built in 1954(Showa 40) in the doctrine of Kendo and Zazen(meditation) that leads

to the spirit "Kenzenicchi" of the spirit of the Yagyu Sinkageryu with the efforts of the previous-senior officer Hashimoto Sadayoshi.

The roof and pillar of the Nara District Court, was originally located in Kofuku-ji Bettou Ichijoin.The main entrance in Dojo was newly remodeled a relocated the entrance from Kyoto Shoshidai.



Yagyu Castle( the ruins of

the old castle )
柳生城(古城跡)

The peak of the mountain is the ruins of Yaryu castle from the south side of Hokutoku-ji Temple. The remains are some parts of fortless, horikiri (moat with water surrounding castle to keep off the invasion of enemies) and clay wall.



Amanoiwatate Shrine
(天乃石立神社)

This is a Shinto shrine that located in Koiwadani in Yagyu-cho and it has been revered as a divine body without having a main shrine.

According to the tradition, there is a myth that Tajikarano no mikoto( 手力雄命) opened the door of AmanoIwato( 天岩戸 ) with all his might , and that door flew to here.

It is also known as the training place of the Yagyu family, and it is said that the reverence of the successive Yagyu family was used.



Ittoseki(一刀石)

It is divided into two in the center by a huge stone of about 7 m square in Koiwadani.

It is said that there was a Tengu in Koiwadani.

And during the training,Yagyu Sekisyusaimunetoshi ran into the tengu and divided it into two; therefore is called the “Ittoseki after age.”



Kenzuka(the old castle mountain)

剣塚(古城山)

It is said that during the time of the Genko war( 元弘の乱 ) (when Hojo's army attacked the emperor against at Mt.Kasagi), Mr.Yagyu Nagaharu hold up in Mt.Kasagi for food supplies.

There are Kenzuka(剣塚) on the top of the mountain where enshrines the 13 of Japanese swords and the spirit of the sword.

This is due to the occurrence of a local soldier's association in Soekamigun nanakamura ,

and prayed for good fortune for the Imperial Army in the case of Manchurian Incident.

In addition, as the name of the old castle mountain(古城山), the area around Kenzuka

where still remains the castle ruins such as L-shaped Horikiri(堀切) clearly.



The stone   statue of   Ataya
阿対の石 仏)

On the right side Amida-nyorai( 阿弥陀如来 ) was said which could help people who asked surviving from an epidemic disease. It was believed by so many people.

This Amida-nyorai was made in late of Kamakura period .

It is said that if Tofu is served to Jizo, it assists women to give birth to a baby and when a baby is born, the family makes a thousand beads to return its gratitude.



The Haita Jizo(歯痛地蔵)

A long time ago, there was a man called Mr.Saito Jinzo who was Shoya(represent of the village). He owns a lot of fields with financial power. And, he made water conduits by his financial ability. The lord of Yagyuhan afraid his talent. When he was falsely executed,Jinzo said" Burn Yagyu to cinders in three years!

" The lord was afraid of his last words and warned to the guard every night. However, it's house got fired to turn ashes on the last day of three year. the lord was so scared that he carved a stone Buddha for holding a memorial service.



Housou Jizo and   Tokuseihibun

疱瘡(ほうそう)地蔵と徳政碑文

Under the lower right of "Hosou Jizo", it is inscribed as "正長元年ヨリサキ者、カンヘ四カンカウニ、ヲヰメ

アルヘカラス".

It is revealed that it was a monumental statement of Tokumasa, with the debts of Kanbe Shikago (Kasuga syaryo's Oyagyu, Yagyu, Sakahara, Ojicho) before the first century(1428) being cancelled.

It is of high historical value document of the Abolition of Debt (Tokumasa) made by Doikki(peasant uprising) in the Muromachi period.



image of the   Buddha   entering   nirvana

寝仏(夜泣き地蔵)

You can see the statue of Amida Nyorai on the way to Housou Jizo in Yagyu Kaido. It is said that the style of the Momoyama period.



Nakamuraroku Jizo

中村六地蔵)

It is located along the Yagyu Kaido (Tokai Nature Trail) heading to Hosho Jizo.

There are inscriptions of the Muromachi period as "Meiou 10, (1501) Sinyou March 14th" at the side of the statue.



Momji Bridge

(もみじ橋)

It is said that there was a house of Yagyu Sekisaisyu Muneyoshi nearby, which is a vermilion bridge that leads to the Hokutokuji temple.



Yagyu Yasaka   shrine

(柳生八坂神社)

Formerly called Shionomiya Daimyojin and worshiped as the 4th Hagayama Shrine of Nara Kasuka Taisha, 3 years (1654) Yashiro Sofufu is a festival of Yasaka Shrine in Ohocho. The shrine was solicited to create a shrine, and it was changed to Yasaka Shrine. The temple in the precinct is the Noh stage of Amano Ishidate Shrine. Formerly called Yonnomiya Daijin where sacred the fourth buiding of Himegami shrine though,In 1654 Yasaka shrine had been changed from SusanooMikoto



Yagyu Shimotsuka Tomb

(柳生下塚古墳)

This is an ancient tomb at the northernmost tip of Nara Prefecture. At the site of the tea plantation, a horizontal-hole type stone chamber is open, and the genkyo is 2.7 meters high, 3.6 meters deep, and 1.8 meters wide. It was built in the late Kofun period (around the 7th century) as it was recorded in the "Tamaei Tokude," which is the family tree of the Yagyu family. When Yagyu Munegun took out the majestic mascot that was in this mound. It is said that for that reason it was numbered Ishigakisai.