Chosho-in Temple: Black Cedar Siding and Tranquil Brewery Lanes
Why is it significant?
Turn into the quiet residential cobblestone lane passing the discreet entrance of Chosho-in Temple. Here, far from tour buses and shopping crowds, you experience the timeless residential charm of old Fushimi.
Key Facts
| Place | Chosho-in Temple: Black Cedar Siding and Tranquil Brewery Lanes |
|---|---|
| Address | Higashisugiyacho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto 612-8051, Japan |
| Geo Coordinates | 34.92850, 135.75750 |
| Part of Walk | Kyoto: Fushimi Sake Cellars, Historic Port Canals and Samurai Inns |
| Generated | Generated |
Turn into the quiet residential cobblestone lane passing the discreet entrance of Chosho-in Temple. Here, far from tour buses and shopping crowds, you experience the timeless residential charm of old Fushimi. On one side rises the unpainted timber temple gate with its mossy stone steps; on the other stretch continuous rows of two-story sake cellars faced in charred yakisugi cedar siding. Narrow drainage gutters made of hand-cut granite line the cobblestones, carrying clear mountain runoff that murmurs softly as you walk down the historic alleyway beneath tile-topped perimeter walls that have stood firm for centuries.
Chosho-in is a quiet Buddhist sanctuary founded in the early seventeenth century during the peaceful consolidation under the Tokugawa shogunate. Temples like Chosho-in were deliberately woven into the urban fabric of Fushimi's commercial brewery quarters, offering spiritual sanctuaries where master brewers, or toji, prayed for divine protection over their delicate winter fermentations, which could easily spoil without proper seasonal temperature management and spiritual blessings.
Notice the circular cedar balls, called sugidama or sakabayashi, hanging under the eaves of several buildings along this lane. Made from thousands of tightly bound cryptomeria needles trimmed into a perfect sphere, a fresh green sugidama is hung up when new winter sake is pressed. As the needles dry and turn brown over the year, patrons know that the sake has matured and is ready to drink.
Run your fingers lightly along the textured charred cedar wood: the rough, alligator-skin texture of the burnt wood feels warm and dry, proof of traditional Japanese craftsmanship designed to endure through centuries of damp seasons. The quiet cobblestone lane smells faintly of aged cedar resin and crisp autumn air, offering a peaceful glimpse into feudal Kyoto craftsmanship preserved through unbroken centuries.
Follow the narrow merchant lane northeast toward the grand Meiji facade of Fushimi Yumehyakushu.