On April the 2nd 2017, I climbed Mt. Jubusan（鷲峰山）in Uji-Tawara（宇治田原）region. Uji-Tawara is known as the origin of Japanese green tea and Mt. Jubusan is the highest among the mountains in Southern Yamashiro, including Uji-Tawara. In Genko War (元弘の乱, 1331), Emperor Godaigo（後醍醐天皇）, who was beginning to fight with Kamakura Shogunate again, settled down to this mountain. However, the place was not good for gather a large number of soldiers. Therefore, he moved to Mt. Kasagiyama（笠置山）.
Japanese Apricot Prunus mume（ウメ）.
Male Bull-Headed Shrike（モズ♂）.
This is Shinzei-Dzuka（信西塚）, a tomb of Shinzei（信西）. Shinzei was a monk who won a victory with Emperor Goshirakawa（後白河天皇） against Retired Emperor Sutoku（崇徳上皇） in Hogen War（保元の乱, 1156）. However, he was confronted by Nobuyori Fujiwara（藤原信頼）, Yoshitomo Minamoto（源義朝）and others and killed himself in this place in Heiji War（平治の乱, 1159）. He was known to be a genius together with Yorinaga Fujiwara（藤原頼長）in the same age.
This is Omichi Jinja Shrine（大道神社）. A wood statue of a male god was originated from Heian period.
Trametes orientalis（クジラタケ）.
The path to Mt. Jubusan.
Jubusan Kontaiji Temple（鷲峰山金胎寺）of Shingon School, worships maitreya
（弥勒菩薩）, was founded by Enno Odzunu（役小角） in 675 and was developed by Emperor Shomu（聖武天皇）as a guardian of Kimon（鬼門） of Capital Heijokyo（平城京）, where daemons could get in and out. .
In Kontaiji, there is a place for training that leads to nirvana. You must go down, get through and climb up the rocky path (or definitely mere rocks). This is the entrance for the trail, and afterwards I could not afford to take some photos due to that steep path.
I could just show you a photo of Senju no Taki waterfall（千手の滝）, which locates just inside the steep place.
I came back to Kontaiji. This is an architecture of maitreya.
Tahoto（多宝塔）, which supposed to be full of treasures, was founded in 1298 and is designated as an important cultural property of Japan.
This place of amulets is also for Enno Odzunu.
Hokyointo（宝篋印塔）, which is a memorial service/tomb and locates at the top of Mt. Jubusan, is also designated as an important cultural property of Japan.
At the top, there is also Tengu no Nigiriishi（天狗の握り石）, a stone that was metamorphosed by a long-nosed goblin.
Near Mt. Jubusan, there is Mt. Shakadake（釈迦岳）and there is an astronomical point（天測点）, together with a triangulation point（三角点）.
Red-Belt Conk Fomitopsis pinicola（ツガサルノコシカケ）.
I came down to the foot of the mountains. There is Chasomyo Jinja Shrine（茶宗明神社）, which commemorates Soen Nagatani（永谷宗円）, a father of Japanese green tea.
This is an ordinary scenery of Uji-Tawara, a village of Japanese green tea. The tea farm will be covered with Kanreisha (寒冷紗, cheesecloth) in May to increase the flavor of tea.
For plants identified; Japanese Cedar Cryptomeria japonica（スギ）, Hinoki Cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa（ヒノキ）, Japanese Red Pine Pinus densiflora（アカマツ）, Ring-Cup Oak Quercus glauca（アラカシ）, Quercus salicinia（ウラジロガシ）, Sawtooth Oak Quercus acutissima（クヌギ）, Chinese Cork Oak Quercus variabilis（アベマキ）, Japanese Chestnut Castanea crenata（クリ）, Camellia Camellia japonica（ヤブツバキ）, Sakaki Cleyera japonica（サカキ）, Eurya japonica（ヒサカキ）, Japanese Maple Acer palmatum（イロハモミジ）, Siebold’s Maple Acer sieboldianum（コハウチワカエデ）, Japanese Zelkova Zelkova serrata（ケヤキ）, Hornbeam Carpinus laxiflora（アカシデ）, Hornbeam Carpinusts tschonoskii（イヌシデ）, Japanese Andromeda Pieris japonica（アセビ）, Rhododendron obtusum var. kaempferi（ヤマツツジ）, Japanese Horse-Chestnut Aesculus turbinata（トチノキ）, Chinese Windmill Palm Trachycarpus fortunei（シュロ）. For slime molds, Fuligo candida（シロススホコリ）. For birds, Grey Heron Ardea cinerea（アオサギ）, Brown-Eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis（ヒヨドリ）, Great Spotted Woodpecker Picoides major（アカゲラ）, Great Tit Parus major（シジュウカラ）, Varied Tit Parus varius（ヤマガラ）, Willow Tit Parus montanus（コガラ）, Japanese Bush Warbler Cettia diphone（ウグイス）, Tree Sparrow Passer montanus（スズメ）.
By the way, on April the 4th 2017, I went to Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine（石清水八幡宮） for cherry-blossom viewing.
This is Machilus thunbergii（タブノキ）. This species is common in the forests of southern Japan. The wood of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine is known to involve the types of trees that are resident to southern Japanese forests.
The main architecture is a national treasury. Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine was founded to protect Kyoto from daemon road, which is in opposite direction from Mt. Hieizan (Enryakuji Temple). Genji family worships this place as a god of military arts. The worshipped gods/goddesses are: Emperor Ohjin（応神天皇）, Tagiribime（多紀理毘売命）/Ichikishimahime（市寸島姫命）/Tagitsuhime（多岐都比売命）(goddess guardians of the sea leads to the Eurasia continent), Okinagatarashihimenomikoto（息長帯姫命）(the mother of Emperor Ohjin). The shrine is famous as amulet works and promises a better fortune.
This camphor tree Cinnamomum camphora（クスノキ）is the tree which Masashige Kusunoki（楠木正成）preyed before the battle with remnants of Hojo family in 1334.
Wakamiyasha（若宮社）and Mizuwakamiyasha（水若宮社）are two of the important cultural properties of Japan. Wakamiyasha worships Emperor Nintoku（仁徳天皇）, the son of Emperor Ohjin, and Mizuwakamiyasha worships Ujinowakiiratsuko（宇治稚郎子命）, another son of Ohjin.
This Michelia compressa（オガタマノキ）is designed in one yen coin of Japan.
You can see a cherry-blossom.
The bamboo trees of this shrine were utilized as filaments of light bulbs invented by Thomas Alva Edison. This is the memorial.
Iwashimizusha（石清水社）is the origin of the whole shrine and it has a wonder-working fountain.
