The shrine is located in the famous “bamboo grove path” in Sagano, Arashiyama, and is dedicated to the deities of learning, fulfillment of love, and safe delivery of children.
Around the year 1000, it was also the setting of a long story “The Tale of Genji” written by Murasaki Shikibu in the Heian period (794-1185), “The Tale of Genji,” in the Kengi no Maki volume, and is popular as a shrine for matchmaking.
The shrine has a long-established atmosphere with its “Kuroki no torii,” a torii gate with bark still attached, and a beautiful moss garden.
For about 660 years since ancient times, a Saio (an unmarried princess or queen) was sent from the capital to Ise Shrine whenever a new emperor ascended to the throne.
The palace was temporarily built in a pure location in Sagano as a place for the Saio to purify himself for a year before going to Ise.
The building was a sacred place surrounded by a precious "Kuroki torii" (Japan's oldest torii gate) made from a raw sawtooth oak tree with its bark still attached and a hedge "koshibagaki" made from kuromoji (a deciduous shrub of the camphoraceae family).
The Saio system was abolished during the reign of Emperor Godaigo due to warfare between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, but it is said that 64 princesses were sent to the shrine.
The location of the Nonomiya Shrine was different each time, but since the reign of Emperor Saga, the Nonomiya Shrine has been built on the site where the Nonomiya Shrine is now located.
After the Saio system was abolished, the shrine continued to exist as a shrine enshrining Amaterasu, and has been revered by the imperial family to this day.
Nonomiya Daikokuten, a shrine on the shrine grounds, is famous as the god of marriage.
It is said that if one pays homage to Daikokuten and rubs the stone next to it, called "Kamiseki (Turtle Stone)," while thinking of a wish, the wish will come true within a year.
The stone shines beautifully black thanks to the prayers of many worshippers.
Although the garden is small in size (only about 3.5 square meters), it expresses the landscape of Arashiyama using moss, and a small Watarigatsu Bridge is built over the Katsura River made of white pebbles.
The moss is gently green and fluffy in texture, spreading out like a carpet and undulating, and bathed in the light that shines through the gaps between the trees, creating a fantastically beautiful small moss garden.
The grounds are decorated with Japanese maples, camellias, rhododendrons, and horse chestnuts, and the appearance of the garden changes with each season to the delight of visitors.
The Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu, is considered the greatest masterpiece in the history of Japanese literature.
In the "Kengi" section, which consists of 54 chapters, Nonomiya is the setting for the parting of the main characters, Hikaru Genji and Rokujo no Yasusho, and was later used as the subject of the Noh play "Nonomiya.
At the age of 16, Rokujo became the wife of Prince HigashiNonomiya (the Crown Prince), and they had a daughter together, but she parted ways with him at the age of 20.
Hikaru Genji gradually came to find Rokujo-no-Mitsuso too beautiful and graceful, and too educated and intelligent and of high status, and his heart cooled and his feet fell off.
Rokujo Gosumo, who is falling madly in love with Hikaru Genji, longs to possess him, but she is unable to be honest with him because of the shame of being older than him and the pride of being a lady of high rank, and she suppresses her true feelings to avoid hurting herself.
This self-repression makes Rokujo Gosumo active as a spirit of life and death.
The jealousy she has suppressed wanders out of her body whenever she loses her inhibitions, and begins to take revenge on the ladies whom Genji loves.
When Rokujo no Mistress discovers that her hair and clothes smell of incense, which is used to repel evil spirits, she realizes that she has become a living spirit and has avenged herself on Hikaru Genji's wife, and she is horrified.
Realizing that he has completely lost the love of Hikaru Genji, Rokujo no Mistress accompanies his daughter, who has become the Saiku, to the Nonomiya Palace in order to break off their relationship.
Hikaru Genji visits Rokujo no Gosukyo at Nonomiya.
He leaves the capital of Kyoto and comes to the depths of Sagano, where he feels a deep sense of loneliness.
The flowers of autumn grasses are past their prime, and the faint sounds of musical instruments can be heard in the feeble sounds of insects and the wind blowing through the pines, softly and softly. How quaint.
The Nonomiya shrine is a modest structure with a small bush fence as an outer fence, and simple shingle-roofed houses stand here and there.
The black wooden torii (gate) looks divine and somewhat considerate, and the presence of priests here and there coughing and talking to each other seems different from other places.
The hut with a bonfire was faintly lit, and the air was damp with few people.
～～ Omission
When Hikaru Genji was able to see Rokujo no Mistress whenever he wanted to, and when she adored him, he took it easy and relaxed, and did not pay much attention to her.
When he thought that Rokujo Gosatsu-sho had faults, his feelings for her cooled down, and their relationship became distant. Thinking of all that had happened and all that was to come, I wept weakly.
Rokujo Gosumesho tries to act modestly so as not to show her unbreakable feelings for Hikaru Genji, but even so, she seems unable to hold back her emotions.
She is even more distressed when Hikaru Genji tries to persuade her not to go to Ise.
As he listens to Hikaru Genji's story while gazing at the autumn night sky with the moon hidden behind it, the pain and bitterness that had been piling up in Rokujo no Mistress' heart faded away.
Although he had supposedly decided to break off his feelings, when he saw her, his heart was shaken and it became hard to say goodbye.
The gradually dawning sky seems to have been specially created.
(The dawn's parting is always dewy; is this the sky of autumn that the world does not know?
(The parting at dawn is always dewy, but this morning's parting is an autumn sky unknown to the world.)
(The autumn sky is always a bit gloomy when parting at dawn, but this morning's parting is an autumn sky unknown to the world.
Hikaru Genji seems to be very reluctant to leave, grabbing the hand of Rokujo no Mistress and holding it still.
The wind is blowing coolly, and the chirping of the pine (waiting) insects seems to know the folds. For two people who are so helplessly disturbed, it is probably impossible for them to even compose a song.
"The sound of the pine insects in the field accompanies the sadness of the farewells in the autumn.
(Even just saying goodbye in autumn is sad, but don't make me even sadder with your cries, pine beetles of the fields.)
I had many regrets, but there was nothing I could do about it, so I departed, feeling uncomfortable with the dawning sky.
The road was filled with tears.
After bidding Hikaru Genji a final farewell, Rokujo no Gosumesho and Saikyu descended to Ise at the age of 30.
(A modern translation of a portion from The Tale of Genji, Kengi)
Free
45 min. by city/Kyoto bus from JR Kyoto Stn.
10 min. on foot from Saga-Arashiyama Sta. on JR Sagano Line