I received interesting information from a colleague who has been exploring and reporting on Kyoto's ancient roads. I came across a rock with the shape of a human face on Nyoigoe, an old road in Shikagaya.

What,That could be a human rock!　In the past, humanoid fish were popular in many parts of Japan, and recently, the human-faced bird that appeared at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Pyeongchang Olympics attracted a great deal of attention. This is the same story that has been told before in this "Māyāi Exploration,Legend of the Masked Pox of Mukura PondAs I introduced in my previous article, "The Masked Objects," regardless of the reason for their appearance, are always a source of inspiration for those who see them.stealthy impressionIt gives us a

Then you should go. The timing was also good. I was just in the middle of covering a walk around the Higashiyama section of the Kyoto Round-the-Year Trail. The trail signposted "Higashiyama 45" Daimonji-Yotsuji to "Higashiyama 48" Reikanji was one of Kyoto's ancient paths called "Shikagaya no Nyoigoe" (Rivendell's Nyoigoe).

According to local elders, it used to be a shortcut from Shikagaya to Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, via the pass at Yotsuji, Daimonji Mountain, over Nyoigatake (one of the 36 peaks of Higashiyama), and a pilgrimage route to Mitsui Temple. In other words, it was a shortcut between the Hinooka Pass (Tokaido Highway) to the south and the Yamanaka Pass to the north.

Going down toward Shikagatani from the sign of the Kyoto Round the Kyoto Trail.

In,The important place to see the human-faced rock is on the way to Nyoi Koshi, near the Roumon-no-taki waterfall, one of the famous spots along this trail.So I decided to stop and look for it when descending from "Higashiyama 45" to "Higashiyama 48".

After descending this steep slope and passing a large rock, we arrived at the Monk Toshikan Monks' Monument of Loyalty at "46 Higashiyama".

Monument of Shunkan Monk Shunkan

After going around the monument and down a fairly steep stone staircase, the sound of a waterfall could be heard on the left.

Stone steps by the waterfall at the tower gate

Waterfall at the tower gate

It is said to have once existed in this area.Named after the tower gate of Nyoji TempleIt is also known as Roumon Falls, which is about 12 meters high. It is also the origin of the name of Nyoigatake, which holds this ancient road in its bosom.

After visiting the waterfall at the gate, I wondered where the desired rock with a human face was,There was! A strange rock was sitting on the ground.

Huge stone by the waterfall at the tower gate, looks like a human face

The pentagonal rock, which resembles a chess piece, has eyes, nose, and mouth as if carved into it, making it look like a giant human face.It seems to stand by the waterfall, unnoticed, guarding the Nyoigoe. However, there is no fear.The face is calm and appears to be chanting Buddhist prayers.

When I looked into the history of the area, I found this bit of history. The location of the Monument of Loyalty to Toshihiro Monk Toshihiro, which we just came across, is said to be the site of the villa of Toshihiro, a monk of the Heian period.

Speaking of Toshihiro,A monk who could not bear to see the oppressive rule of the Heike clan led by Taira no Kiyomori, so he rose up in rebellion.The villa was the site of the secret talks on the Shikagaya Incident. It was at this villa that the secret talks on the Shikagaya Incident took place. However, due to his treachery, Kiyomori Taira became aware of the incident and Toshihiro was exiled to the isolated island of Onikai-gashima in the Sea of Japan. Later, Toshihiro, who was considered the mastermind of the incident, died an untimely death at the place of exile.

This means that this human-faced rock, which appears to be chanting a Buddhist prayerIt may be a strange rock that holds the thoughts of Monk Toshikan toward the capital.It looks like a human face.It is somewhat unsettling to be gawked at by both eyes emitting mysterious and magical energy.We did not stay long and decided to descend toward the village of Shikagaya.

Kyoto city seen from the slope of Shikagaya