Explore Kansai: Mount Yoshino is refreshing even without cherry blossoms

Mount Yoshino in central Nara prefecture is famous for its cherry blossoms. I like to see them once in my lifetime, but I expect it's too crowded in that season to appreciate the beauty of floating nature. Recently I have been to Nara prefecture several times, Nara city where cosmic Buddha sits in Todai-ji temple, Ikaruga town where World Heritage Site Horyu-ji temple stands, and Hase where sacred Hase-dera is located. But I have never been to Mount Yoshino, so I took the day trip to Mount Yoshino on late summer holiday on September 6th.

It took about 2 hours from Kyoto to Yoshino by Kintetsu railway. The landscape from the railway south of Kashihara jingu station is really beautiful. It's very rural, a lot of green and large plot of rice paddy. Time seems to be very slow in this part of Nara.

From Kintetsu Yoshino station, ropeway ride of a couple of minutes get you at the entrance of Mount Yoshino. As this is not cherry blossoms season nor autumn foliage time, the area is deserted. Actually the whole area is designated as World Heritage Site of "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range", but it seems that does not attract many visitors aside from high season.

Just a short walk from ropeway station, a couple of gate appears and then Kimpsen-ji temple comes to your eyes. This is the place of mountain Shugendo training, mixing Buddhism and Shinto. It is said to be the 2nd largest wooden building after Todai-ji. When I arrived, there was some ritual or ceremony under way. But don't be afraid. It is not of so mysterious nature.

Near this temple, there is Yoshimizu shrine. In 14th century, there was two emperors in Japan for a brief period. One was in Kyoto called Northern Court, the other was in Yoshino called Southern Court. This Yoshimizu shrine is dedicated for Emperor Go-daigo of Southern Court. But the attraction of this shrine is not history but view of mountain. As this is early September, the mountain is covered with refreshing green. I guess the entire mountain would be covered with cherry blossoms in spring. It must be superb.

From there, slope becomes rather steep. I managed to get to Chikurin-in where nice garden is maintained. This is the only place to pay admission fee (300 yen) in the day. There are other spots further up, but I don't go further and start to return. There are many shops to sell "sushi with persimmon leaf" and "kuzukiri". Nara is famous for both of these speciality foods. Yoshino is especially famous of "kudzu" from which "kuzukiri" is made. Most of the shops are deserted. I entered one shop and no shop clerk was seen even after I called. But I managed to find one shop where shop clerks were there. By the way kudzu is some kind of plant, which I don't know much, and kuzukiri is translated as "clear cake of boiled kuzuko cut into noodle-like strips and eaten with kuromitsu". If you like to try yet another type of noodle after ramen, this may be it.