Edo Period,Deep in the mountains of Sakyo-ku, a remote area, there was an eccentric man who is said to have lived for 200 years.I ask, "What are you doing? Name.White Yukoand was called a hermit by the villagers. TheThe site of the residence is located in the mountains of Uryuyama, east of the Kitashirakawa River.I learned that it was, and immediately decided to visit the place.

Biographies of Early Modern Malformed People," Baiyuko.
(From the National Diet Digital Collection)

There is a trailhead to Mt. Uryu by the parking lot of the Japan Baptist Hospital. Near the entrance, we saw a sign that read "Beware of Bears. We thought that bears must be hibernating at this time of year, and hurried onward. We soon found a way up the mountain, and the real climbing began behind the Oyamazumi Jinja and Jiryu Taimeijin shrine.

Bear Beware sign

Unlike in the city, there was still snow in the mountains that had fallen three days earlier.

Mountain road to Chayama

After crossing the summit of Chayama, where the villa of Shirojiro Chaya, a wealthy merchant of the Edo period, was located, the trail leads further into the mountain. This area is where Shirakawa stone was collected, and there are many huge rocks in this area.

Huge rocks remain on the mountain path.

As might be expected of a place where a man known as a hermit lived, the snow gradually increased.Atmosphere like a hermit's abodeSuddenly, a large rock of Shirakawa stone appeared. I detoured to the left around the large rock and found myself in a little square hollow.

This was the site of Baiyuko's residence!

ruins of the rock residence of Bakuyuko Ganjyu

Research on Baiyuko reveals that he was a man of uncertain age. Some sources say that he was over 200 years old, or that he appeared to be over 60, but when an elderly man asked Baiyuko about his parents and grandparents, Baiyuko told him as if he were right there in front of him.

His hair hung down past his knees as he sat on the edge of his seat, and his face was as beautiful as a jujube. He was well versed in astronomy and medicine. He did not eat fish or birds, and although he drank alcohol, he was never seen drunken. He ate the fruit of trees, talked with deer and monkeys, and did not like to meet with people.

The remains of a well that is said to have been used by Baiyuko still remains at the site of her residence. It must have been quite cold in winter. There seems to have been a lot of humidity. On a nearby snow-covered trail, we also came across the footprints of various animals.

Ruins of a well said to have been used by Baiyuko.

Footprints of mountain dwellers (raccoons?)

It is also said that Hakuyuko was the teacher or, conversely, the disciple of Ishikawa Jozan (who built Shisen-do), who was active as a warrior and a Chinese poet from the late Sengoku Period to the early Edo Period. In a well-known episode, Hakuin Zenji (1685-1768), the founder of Rinzai Zen, was suffering from an illness and visited Hakuyuko in the mountains of Shirakawa, where he was given a health technique (psychotherapy) called "Naikan no Hou," which is said to have cured his illness.It is said that a "hermit" is a person who lives in the mountains, is immortal, and has divine powers, and Baiyuko was indeed a person worthy of being called a hermit.I guess.

By the way, Uryuyama isUshitotenno of Yasaka Shrine descended on Mt. UryuThe legend goes. This mountain is now only for the god who is strong against plague and disease,Power spot for health and healing of illnessIt is also said to be a nod to the

It was not a steep mountain, so it was easy to walk, and there was a mountain stream, so I felt refreshed as I walked. I felt as if I had received at least a small piece of the health benefits that Baiyuko had acquired by experiencing the legend of the hermits and the clean air of the mountain.

Mysterious Uryu Mountains