An Index of Stones

179 stones so far. Each is bound into this ledger as its research settles — traced from a nearby cup, on foot.

New to the ledger? Begin with — the Mackerel Road, the Well to the Underworld, the lost West Temple (Sai-ji), the vanished Lake Ogura, the Philosopher’s Path.

Each mark shows a stone’s register — a green leaf for joy, a rose blossom for legend, an indigo drop for sorrow, a violet moon for shadow. The same marks as the Stone Map.

Rakuchūthe city’s heart95

Kyoto End of the Saba-kaidoDemachiyanagiMackerel salted in Wakasa, said to ripen to its best just as it reached Kyoto. Kyoto's 1928 Art Deco News BureauKarasuma-OikeStar motifs hide throughout the walls of a former newspaper bureau. Sanjokai Shopping StreetNijōEight hundred meters of arcade, and partway down, a small shrine tied by tradition to the 869 rite remembered as an origin of the Gion Festival. Sanjo's 1902 Post OfficeKarasuma-OikeFacade preservation—keeping the outer walls, rebuilding within—began at this post office. Kamishichiken (geisha district)KamishichikenKyoto's oldest geisha district, said to have risen from a shrine's leftover timber. Nijo Castle Southeast Corner TurretNijō CastleAt a castle that lost turret after turret to fire, one that survived the flames. Nijo Jinya, the Hidden-Stair HouseNijōA merchant house that lodged lords hides ninja-like staircases and secret devices. Kyoto's Meiji-Era Government HallMarutamachiJapan's oldest working government office still in its original form, in Meiji-era brick. Museum of Kyoto's Brick AnnexSanjōA red-brick former Bank of Japan branch by Tatsuno Kingo, now a museum annex. Nintendo's Birthplace and Old HQShichijōNintendo began here with playing cards; its old headquarters now lives on as a hotel. Bukko-ji, a Shin Buddhist Head TempleShijō-KarasumaAn old temple that spread its teaching with illustrated lineage charts and name registers. Yasaka Shrine's Shijo OtabishoGojōFor seven days the three mikoshi rest on Teramachi, where a silent nightly visit is said to grant a wish—a practice kept above all by Gion's geiko and maiko. Rokkaku-do and Kyoto's Navel StoneKarasuma-OikeThe birthplace of Ikenobo ikebana, home to the 'navel stone' at Kyoto's center. Kyoto's Lost 1576 Christian ChurchShijōThe site of a church Nobunaga protected and Hideyoshi tore down. Urade-yama's Fortune-Telling SweetfishShijō-KarasumaA Gion Festival float from the tale of an empress who divined battle with a sweetfish. Physician Yoshimasu Todo's HomeGosho-minamiThe home of a kampo doctor whose insistence on proof pointed toward modern medicine. Birthplace of Kabuki on the KamoShijō-KawaramachiThe riverbank where Izumo no Okuni danced, held to be the birthplace of kabuki. Inaba Yakushi (Byodo-ji)UmekōjiIts Yakushi Buddha is said to have flown from the sea off Inaba, following the provincial governor to the capital; counted among Japan's three great Nyorai, it still draws prayers to ward off cancer. Kyoto's Bell That Is Never RungNishijinA Heian-era bell inscribed with Sanskrit at Hōon-ji in Nishijin, said to stay silent except on New Year's Eve, on account of a weaver girl's tragic tale. Legendary Grave of Genji's YugaoGojō-MatsubaraSaid to be the grave of a lady from Genji, kept alive in the name 'Yugao-cho.' Ebisugawa-dori (furniture district)Gosho-minamiA street said to have risen first from the ashes, still lined with joiners who work without a single nail. Myoren-jiNishijinA cherry that flowers from autumn to spring, sixteen stones read as arhats, and screen paintings the Tōhaku school left behind. Site of Shoshoi (Shoshoi Otabisho)Gosho-minamiA well the Pillow Book once counted among the finest is gone with its shrine—only the name still holds the block. Tosa Inari, Ryoma's Alley ShrineKawaramachiAn alley Inari shrine where Ryoma and Tosa loyalists are said to have prayed. Shimabara Omon (Great Gate)ShimabaraBehind the splendor of the tayu processions, women lived out their lives inside this gate. Home of a Shinsengumi SurvivorShimabaraSaid to be where a Shinsengumi man, having survived Hakodate, returned to live in Kyoto. Ichihime-jinjaGojōAll five deities here are goddesses — which is why the shrine has long been kept as a guardian of women. Joren-ji (Bush-clover Temple)DemachiyanagiA temple deep in bush clover, where a young Katsu Kaishu is said to have lodged. Site of the Kobun-inNijōA place said to have held thousands of scrolls in a Heian family school now folds into a single stone. Mikane-jinja (shrine of fortune)Karasuma-OikeUnder a golden torii, an unending stream of prayers over money and lottery tickets. Shumoku-no-zushi (alley)KawaramachiA through-lane named for its T-shape—a branch cutting west like the T of a shumoku, the mallet that strikes a temple gong. Birthplace of Tenjin WorshipKyoto StationIt's said the small shrine that Tajihi no Ayako, Michizane's wet nurse, raised in her own garden became the seed of Kitano Tenmangū—where the worship of Tenjin is said to have begun. Ichijo Modoribashi, Bridge of LegendsNishijinA bridge of hidden shikigami and a demon's severed arm, said to divide this world from the next. Shonen-ji (the Cat Temple)NishijinIt's said a cat so doted on by the third abbot that the temple nearly fell to ruin later revived it—its spirit speaking through a dying Matsudaira princess—and the pine before the hall is still called the "cat pine" (accounts vary). Honno-ji's Present Temple SiteKawaramachi-SanjōAfter Nobunaga fell, Hideyoshi moved Honno-ji to where it stands today. Hongan-ji DendoinKyoto StationAn Indian dome and stone statues of imaginary beasts: Itō Chūta raised this red-brick building for a life-insurance company. Higashi-Sanjo-dono Palace SiteNijōThe Fujiwara mansion where a daughter bore an emperor and became Japan's first nyoin. Matsubara, Kyoto's Old Gojo BridgeShijō-KawaramachiBefore Hideyoshi moved the bridge south, the "Gojō Bridge" of the Ushiwakamaru-and-Benkei legend is said to have stood here, where Matsubara now crosses the Kamo. Umekoji's Historic Rail RoundhouseUmekōjiSome twenty tracks open like a fan from a single turntable — a 1914 roundhouse, among the oldest of its kind, where locomotives are still turned on the central turntable. Nashinoki-jinja (Somei spring)Gosho-higashiThe only survivor of Kyoto's three famous waters still flows at this bush-clover shrine. Benkei and Ushiwaka Festival FloatKarasumaA Gion Festival float staging Benkei's defeat by Ushiwakamaru on Gojo Bridge. Takenobu Inari and Ryoma's TreeSanjōkaiA shrine where Ryoma is said to have carved 'dragon' into a tree, longing for Oryo. Site of the Ikedaya IncidentSanjōThe Ikedaya raid, said to have hastened the Restoration—or delayed it. Shosei-en, Higashi Hongan-ji GardenGojōA pond garden said to echo a distant northern shore, attributed by tradition to Ishikawa Jōzan, its name drawn from a poet's line about a garden that grows lovelier the more one walks it. Tanaka-jinjaDemachiyanagiThe tutelary shrine of the old village of Tanaka, said to have received an old hall from Shimogamo Shrine—its rebuilt hall still bearing the triple-hollyhock crest. Yata-dera (Yata Jizo)TeramachiA Jizo said to bear torments in hell; a bell that sees spirits home at Obon. Shakuzo-ji (Kuginuki Jizo)NishijinA Jizo that pulls out suffering, named 'nail-pulling'; pincer plaques blanket the hall. Shinmei-jinja's Nue-Slayer LegendShijō-KarasumaA shrine where Minamoto no Yorimasa is said to have prayed before shooting down the nue. Shinsen-en, Gion Festival OriginsNijō CastleA pond where Kukai is said to have summoned a dragon, held to be Gion's origin. Hanjo-jinja (Shrine of Lady Hanjo)Shijō-KarasumaA shrine of prosperity, tied to a tale of a daughter's body that kept returning. Nabeshima Domain's Kyoto ResidenceNijōNothing remains of the 20,000-koku residence; only a stone, set in 1991, still gives its address. Obama Domain's Kyoto ResidenceNijōThe Sakai estate where Yoshinobu is said to have charted the restoration of imperial rule. Michizane's Legendary BirthplaceMarutamachiA Tenman-gu said to be Michizane's birthplace—one of several claims—where his first-bath well remains. Takoyakushi's Healing Octopus LegendKawaramachiThe 'filial octopus' said to have become the Lotus Sutra and healed a mother. Nishi Hongan-jiKyoto StationThe head temple keeps a gate said to hold you till dusk—and the reason it is the "West" lies in a split more than four centuries old. Kanze-i (the Kanze well)NishijinA well that never stopped swirling gave the Kanze school its crest — and, it's said, once received a dragon from the sky. The garden of SumiyaShimabaraA garden named for a pine trained to lie like a reclining dragon — the tree since replaced, the rooms still said to bear Shinsengumi blades. Seigan-ji's Lost-Child GuidepostKawaramachiA temple whose stone once reunited lost children, linked to the poet Izumi Shikibu. WachigaiyaShimabaraParasols from the tayū's procession are pasted into the sliding doors, in the only house in Shimabara said to still raise tayū. Site of Ryoma's AssassinationKawaramachi-SanjōThe soy-sauce shop where Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro were assassinated. Suya, Ryoma's Kaientai HideawayKawaramachi-SanjōThe timber merchant's lodging where Ryoma is said to have watched the canal from upstairs. Nishiki Tenman-gu, Market ShrineShijōThe two ends of the torii's lintel vanish straight into the walls on either side—the shrine, it's said, left in place as the block was rebuilt around it. Chosokabe Morichika's Head MoundGojōWhere a Tosa lord's head lies buried, who is said to have vowed to rise again. Uho-in (Nishijin Shoten)NishijinA well that never runs dry, a pine named for the drizzle, and the double-petalled Kanki cherry—a Shingon temple said to have been founded by Kūkai. Seiryu Myoon, Benzaiten of the ArtsDemachiyanagiA Benzaiten said to have once guarded a princely house, visited to perfect one's arts. Kodo Gyogan-ji (ghost ema)Gosho-higashiA 'ghost ema' said to hold the spirit of a girl who died young. Kadode Shrine, Yoshitsune's JourneyNishijinThe shrine where Yoshitsune is said to have prayed for safe passage before heading north. Takase Canal and Its Merchant BoatsShijō-KawaramachiDown a canal cut by a merchant and his son, flat-bottomed boats once carried firewood and rice between Kyoto and Fushimi. Nue Daimyojin (Nue Pond)NijōA park pond where Yorimasa is said to have washed the blood from the nue's arrowhead. Ryukoku's Meiji-Era Omiya CampusKyoto StationStone columns that are really wood dressed in stone: an 1879 hall of learning, still standing as a designated cultural treasure. The Shinsengumi's Last Kyoto BaseKyoto StationA daimyo-grade headquarters left within half a year—the Shinsengumi's last in the city. Doso-jinja, Shrine for Safe JourneysKyoto StationA small shrine said to guard a retired emperor's palace, now wedged near Kyoto Station. Birthplace of Ito JakuchuShijōBirthplace of the painter Jakuchu, who ran this Nishiki greengrocer's until he turned forty. Rajomon, Kyoto's Lost Southern GateKyoto StationThe gate of Akutagawa's 'Rashomon,' toppled twice and never rebuilt, now just a marker. Japan's First Electric RailwayKyoto StationJapan's first commercial streetcar set off from this spot in 1895. Kyoto Daijingu, Inner-City Ise ShrineShijōFounded in early Meiji so those who could not reach Ise might worship it from afar. Furutaka Shuntaro's Residence SiteKawaramachi / KiyamachiThe lodging of a loyalist whose tortured confession triggered the Ikedaya Incident of 1864. Koyaku Alley's Masakado LegendKarasuma-Oike / ShijōAn alley named, so the telling goes, for a monk's rite over Masakado's severed head. Where the Onin War BeganNishijinThe ten-year Onin War that burned Kyoto began with a skirmish in this grove. Okame's Tragic Carpenter LegendNishijin / KitanoOkame saved her carpenter husband's error, then took her own life, so temple lore holds. Kikusui Well of Tea Master JoōShijō-KarasumaThe spring said to have been prized by Takeno Joo, teacher of Sen no Rikyu. Hayashi Razan's Kyoto ResidenceShijō-KarasumaThe residence site of Hayashi Razan, the scholar who served four Tokugawa shoguns. Yatsuhashi Kengyo's Koto SchoolShijō-KarasumaPractice hall of Yatsuhashi Kengyo, who shaped the koto and, some say, named a Kyoto sweet. Memorial Stone to Nawa NagatoshiNijōA stone carved by a later age in longing for Nawa Nagatoshi, loyal to Emperor Go-Daigo. Mystery Stone Marked Koki 2601Kyoto StationA roadside stone cut with 'Koki 2601,' its provenance unknown—why does it linger? Somedono-in's Hidden JizoKarasuma-Oike / ShijōA hidden Jizo—Kyoto's only naked-form statue—shown but once every fifty years. Legendary Midnight-Curse WellGojō-MatsubaraA dry well where, legend says, a cursing wife died; its water severed ill-fated bonds. Matsuo Taisha's Suzaku OtabishoSuzakuA resting station of the Matsuo Festival, where six palanquins and a sacred chest halt. Hōkyō-ji Monzeki (Doll Temple)NishijinA princesses' convent whose inner gate, it is said, opened only for a palanquin's arrival. Hoon-ji and the Crying TigerNishijinThe temple keeps Shimei Toitsu's "Crying Tiger," which, it's said, roared each night when Hideyoshi hung it in his Jurakudai palace until he returned it—shown only on the first three days of a Year of the Tiger. Sanjo-Higashi-dono Night-Raid SiteKarasuma-OikeSaid to be where a retired emperor's palace was raided by night, opening the Heiji Rebellion. Kimura Shigenari's Residence SiteJurakudaiA site tied by tradition to Shigenari, who rode into battle with incense in his helmet. Shusse Inari's Former Shrine SiteJurakudaiThe marker of an Inari, said founded by Hideyoshi, that stood here some 350 years. Presumed House of Uesugi KagekatsuJurakudaiA stone keeping a samurai quarter's memory, its place-names said to echo Kagekatsu and Kanetsugu. Site of Shokoku-ji's Giant PagodaDemachiyanagiHere stood a seven-storey pagoda said to have risen 109 meters, a skyscraper of its age.

Rakutōeast of the river27

Legendary Well to the UnderworldHigashiyamaThe well said to have carried Ono no Takamura down to the land of the dead. The Philosopher's PathShishigataniThe canal-side lane named for the philosopher who walked it, lost in thought. Yasaka Pagoda (Hokan-ji)HigashiyamaBeneath the five-story pagoda everyone photographs survives an old foundation stone said to hold relics. Yasaka Shrine, Heart of the Gion FestivalGionHead of every Gion shrine, keeping the tale of Somin Shorai and the ring-passing rite. Shirakawa-me Monument and ShrineKitashirakawaThe tutelary shrine of Kitashirakawa, home of the Shirakawa-me who are said to have carried flowers through the city on their heads. Entoku-in, Nene's Final HomeHigashiyamaWhere Nene, Hideyoshi's wife, passed her last years and died. Otani Hombyo, Shinran's MausoleumKiyomizu / GojōAround Shinran's grave gather the ashes of the faithful from across the country: the "West Ōtani," and not its eastern namesake. Otoyo-jinja (guardian mice)ShishigataniAlong the Philosopher's Path, a pair of stone mice—one with an orb, one a scroll—guard a sub-shrine, in memory of the myth in which a mouse saved the deity Ōkuninushi from fire. Anraku-ji: Matsumushi & SuzumushiShishigataniTwo court ladies who took the tonsure, and two monks executed in the persecution that followed — the hermitage at Shishigatani is said to have begun as a place to mourn them. Memorial Stone to Yun Dong-juDemachiyanagiA stone keeping the spirit of Yun Dong-ju, a poet who died in prison at twenty-seven. Honen-in and Its Mossy GateGinkaku-jiBeyond a mossy approach and white sand mounds, a still temple where Tanizaki lies buried. Shirakawa, Stonecutters and FlowersKitashirakawaHome to the stonemasons of Shirakawa stone and the women who sold flowers from their heads. Historic Guidepost to Shisen-doGinkaku-jiA guidepost tied to Ishikawa Jozan, pointing 'twelve cho north to Shisen-do.' Mimizuka (Ear Mound / Nose Mound)HigashiyamaA mound burying the ears and noses brought back from Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea. Shirakawa's One-Plank BridgeGionA single stone plank barely 67 centimeters wide over the Shirakawa, crossed—so it's said—by white-robed ascetics during Mount Hiei's thousand-day circuit. Tatsumi Shrine and Gion's TanukiGionFounded, it's said, to calm a bridge tanuki; today maiko pray here for their art. Ginkaku-ji (Jisho-ji)Ginkaku-jiNo trace of silver was found on the "Silver Pavilion"—a 2007 analysis supports the view it was never applied—and even the name came later, coined in the Edo period as a foil to the Golden Pavilion. Wakamiya Hachiman-gu, Pottery ShrineGojō-zaka / KiyomizuThe tutelary shrine of Kiyomizu's pottery town, enshrining the potters' founder and a goddess of beauty. Kanikakuni, Gion's Beloved PoemGionAt this poet's monument by the Shirakawa, maiko lay flowers each November. Kuya's Six-Buddha StatueGion / HigashiyamaA statue of the monk Kuya, six tiny Amida Buddhas streaming from his open mouth. Yasaka Koshin-do (kukuri-zaru)HigashiyamaA hall of bound cloth monkeys where, the telling goes, giving up one wish grants another. Shunkan's Shishigatani Plot SiteShishigataniThe villa site where, by tradition, Shunkan plotted against the Taira and was exiled for it. Mirokuin Temple (Shiawase Jizo)Ginkaku-jiBeside the Philosopher's Path, a Jizo cradling an infant is believed to invite happiness. Shiga Naoya's Yamashina HomeYamashinaWhere the novelist Shiga Naoya lived a year and a half — said to be the setting of his Yamashina tales. Old Shibutani-kaido WaymarkerYamashinaA waymarker of the old Shibutani-kaido to Yamashina, its inscription and date still unidentified. Rennyo's Vanished Bronze StatueYamashinaRaised for harmony between two temples, the Rennyo statue was taken in a wartime metal levy. Hitokui Jizo (Sutoku-in Jizo)ShōgoinA Jizo for the embittered Emperor Sutoku, its name said to have slid into 'man-eating.'

Rakuhokuthe northern hills21

Shimogamo Shrine's Ancient ForestKitaōjiThe mitarashi dumpling is said to trace the bubbles rising in Mitarashi Pond, deep in Shimogamo's ancient forest—and the one skewered apart from the rest is held to stand for the human body. Kuga-jinja, Shrine of YatagarasuShichikuA shrine to the three-legged crow that guided an emperor, prayed to for safe flight. Kyoto Botanical GardenKitaōjiJapan's first public botanical garden, opened on New Year's Day, still keeps a small shrine deep in its only wild wood. Kitaoji BridgeKitaōjiFrom the bridge, the ridge of Koyama, where a deity is said to have descended. Nakaragi Cherry Walk by the KamoKitaōjiA path of about 800 meters tunneling under red weeping cherries along the Kamo River. Nakaragi Shrine's Driftwood LegendKitayamaA hall said to have been rebuilt from driftwood washed ashore—one of several tales. Buried Village Under the Botanical GardenKitayamaA marker for a buried settlement lived in from Yayoi times through the early-modern age. The Ghost Taxi of Midoro PondKitayamaA pond in northern Kyoto known for a ghost-taxi tale—a passenger gone before the water comes into view—and for old legends of an ogre's passage. Ushiwakamaru's birth-bath wellShichikuA well in Shichiku, its water still standing, said to have drawn the first bath of the infant Ushiwakamaru in 1159. Grave of Murasaki ShikibuKitaōjiA grave said to be Murasaki Shikibu's stands beside one said to be Ono no Takamura's. So-jinja, Yoshitsune Birth LegendShichikuAn old shrine said to be the 'Tokiwa Forest' where Tokiwa Gozen bore Ushiwakamaru. Rugby's First-Kick MonumentKitayama / KamoWhere students first kicked a rugby ball, birthing Kansai rugby—within a World Heritage forest. Kamo-kaido, Road Along the KamoKitaōjiA road along one river that is written three different ways for a single stream. Shimei-doriKita WardA street named for 'purple hills, clear water,' facing Mt. Shimei to the northeast. Midoro-michi (Shimogamo Hondori)ShimogamoOnce a narrow lane to Midoro Pond, widened in Taisho straight through a priestly quarter. Mimei-bashi (Bridge of First Light)ŌharaA vermilion bridge of two names, said to mark the dawn end of the Ohara Debate. Otsu-ga-mori (Serpent Grove)ŌharaA grove where a woman turned serpent is said to await the lord who abandoned her. Mitsui Family's Shimogamo VillaKitayama / KamoIn this Mitsui merchant villa's garden stand two trees leaning together—the 'wedded trees.' Eizan Cable's Record 561m RiseYaseA funicular from Yase to Mount Hiei, its 561-meter rise the greatest of any in Japan. Shimyoin, Mountain Source of the KamoKumogahataA mountain temple at the Kamo's reputed source, with a cave where a dragon is said to be sealed. Hanajiri's Legendary Serpent GroveŌhara-ToderaA camellia grove said to keep a serpent's tail, its head buried in another grove.

Rakusaithe western fringe17

Yugiri Tayu MonumentSagaSaid to be the birthplace of Yugiri Tayu, the courtesan Chikamatsu made his heroine. Mt. Tennozan (Battle of Yamazaki)ŌyamazakiThe hill where Hideyoshi broke Akechi gave the language its word for a decisive moment. Seiryo-ji (Saga Shaka-do)SagaSilk organs folded inside its body — one reason the Saga Shakyamuni has long been revered as a "living Buddha." Togetsukyo BridgeArashiyamaA bridge named for a moon crossing it, dressed in cypress over concrete, above a weir the Hata clan is said to have raised. Gio-ji (Gio and Taira no Kiyomori)SagaThe Sagano convent where Giō, a dancer cast from Taira no Kiyomori's favor, is said to have taken vows beside her mother and sister. Jizo-in, Kyoto's Bamboo TempleMatsuoThe 'Bamboo Temple,' wrapped in its grove, where a young Ikkyu is said to have trained. Suzumushi-dera, the Cricket TempleMatsuoCrickets sing year-round in the hall where a monk gives his talk, and at the gate stands a straw-sandaled Jizō who, it's said, walks out to grant a single wish. Saiho-ji, Kyoto's Moss TempleMatsuoThe moss that names the Moss Temple was not Musō Soseki's design but spread only after the garden fell into neglect, from the Edo period on—and you still write out a sutra before you reach it. Kurumazaki Shrine of Performing ArtsSagaA shrine bristling with vermilion plaques that bear the names of entertainers. Birthplace of Egoma OilŌyamazakiIn Ōyamazaki, it's said the lever-press for wringing oil from egoma perilla was devised at this shrine, which later anchored one of medieval Japan's largest oil guilds. Legendary Mound of Lady KogoArashiyamaA koto master, beloved of an emperor, hunted down and made a nun, it is said. Adashino's 8,000 Stone BuddhasSaga-ToriimotoA burial ground where eight thousand gathered stone Buddhas stand facing Amida. Amazuka, Sixth-Century Keyhole TombUzumasaA sixth-century keyhole tomb, likely the Hata clan's, its stone chamber now an Inari shrine. Nenbutsu-ji TempleNishikyōgokuA Jodo-sect Nenbutsu-ji near the Katsura River, its detailed origins unrecorded. Koromode-jinja ShrineNishikyōgokuA Matsunoo Festival resting shrine, renamed after the Koromode subshrine was merged into it. Takamura's Return from the UnderworldSagaWhere Ono no Takamura is said to have returned nightly from the underworld to the living. Seiryo-ji's Revolving Sutra LibrarySagaA revolving sutra case visitors may turn—one spin said to earn a whole canon's merit.

Rakunanthe southern plain19

Sai-ji, Kyoto's Lost Western TempleKarahashiThe phantom state temple that once matched To-ji, then fell to ruin and vanished. Former Ogura-ike (Ogura Pond)YokoōjiThe ground where a vast lake, once prized for moon-viewing, vanished under land reclamation. Nurikobe Jizo (toothache cure)Fushimi InariA Jizo said to seal away toothache; the cured tie chopsticks to its lattice. Misu-jinja (Torch Festival)YokoōjiBonfires that welcomed a prince in 672 live on, they say, as a one-ton torch. Fushimi Inari Taisha (Senbon Torii)Fushimi InariEvery vermilion gate was donated—by a person or a company—its size, and so its cost, set by the width of the post, the donor's name and date inscribed on the back. Senryomatsu Battlefield, 1868YokoōjiOn the narrow Yodo embankment where the eastern army fell, a stone and a burial ground now keep company. To-ji (Kyo-o-gokoku-ji)Kyoto Station SouthThe pagoda Kūkai began has burned four times over; today's is the fifth—and at about 55 meters, still the tallest wooden structure in Japan. Ubaba Inari (Ubaba Pond)Fushimi InariA small shrine where Inari's fox is said to have given birth, for safe childbirth. Shichimen Tennyō WaymarkerFushimi InariA waymarker to Mount Shichimen, whose guardian goddess is said to have turned into a dragon. Kusatsu-minato (Fish-market site)YokoōjiA shogunate-licensed fish market where fish, rowed up the Yodo overnight, were landed. Agata Shrine's Midnight FestivalUjiA shrine known for its Agata rite, a bonten borne through darkness on a June midnight. Uji's Giant Thirteen-Storey PagodaUjiA pagoda said to stand over buried fishing gear, rebuking the taking of river life. Genji's Floating Bridge of DreamsUjiA monument bearing the name of the final chapter of The Tale of Genji. Shigetsu, Hideyoshi's Lost CastleMomoyamaThe 'phantom castle,' lost to an earthquake, resurfaced in a 2015 dig—gold-leaf tiles and all. Hideyoshi's Makishima EmbankmentMukaijimaAn embankment Hideyoshi built to redirect the Uji, once lined with cherries, so tradition holds. Makishima Castle and the Last ShogunMakishimaThe castle whose fall is held to have ended the Muromachi shogunate, when Ashikaga Yoshiaki withdrew. Ogura-jinja ShrineOguraAn ancient shrine said to have begun when the Ogura-no-muraji clan enshrined their ancestral deity. Ogura-ike Pond (Ninomaru-ike) SiteMukaijimaThe Kyoto basin's largest lake, split by embankments and drained under reclamation begun in 1933. Taikō-zutsumi (Ogura-zutsumi Site)MukaijimaAn embankment of Hideyoshi's whose crest became the Yamato Kaido linking Fushimi and Nara.

These notes come from desk research. Local traditions vary.