Ayabe City (綾部市) is located in the northwest part of Kyoto Prefecture: it is along the Sea of Japan.  Ayabe is a city located in Kyoto, Japan.
  The city was founded on August 1, 1950.  As of April 2010, the city has an estimated population of 36,128 and the density of 114 persons per sq. km.  The total area is 347.11 sq. km.
  Ayabe is situated in the mountains of Northern Kyoto Prefecture.  You can get there by train from Kyoto station or by car in an hour and a half.  It is known for the founding of Oomoto (大本) sect of Shintoism.  In August fireflies can be viewed from Kambayashi area (上林).  In the same area is a hot spring area and a hot spring is available near the JR Ayabe Station (see below).
  

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Ayabe Station

JR Ayabe Station (JR綾部駅), Ayabe City

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(Saturday 13 March) Ayabe Station, Ayabe City

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(Saturday 13 March) "Ayabe-Ekimae-Sakae-onsen" (綾部駅前栄温泉; Ayabe-Ekimae-Sakae Spa), Ayabe Station

JR Fuchizawa Station

JR Fuchizawa Station (JR淵沢駅) is an unmanned railroad station between Ayabe Station and Nish-Maizuru Station.

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(Sunday 14 March) Fuchigaki Station, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) Fuchigaki Station, Ayabe City

Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple (景徳山 安国寺) is located at 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City, Kyoto (京都府綾部市安国寺町寺ノ段1). It was founded as Kofuku-ji Temple (光福寺) with the wooden statue of "Koyasu-jizo Bosatsu" (子安地蔵菩薩; the Patron of Pregnant Women) made by Eshin-sozu Genshin [恵心僧都 源信] in the 4th year of Shoryaku (正暦4年) or AD 993. It became the family temple of the Uesugi family (上杉氏), the ruling family of the area formerly called as Uesugi-sho (上杉荘). In the Muromachi Period, it was renamed as the present name, as the first one of the Sixty-six Ankoku-ji Risho-to (安国寺 利生塔) built by the Ashikaga Shogunate across Japan. The temple is sacred to the three seated images of the Shakyamuni triad (釈迦三尊坐像) made by Goen (豪円) in 1339. Takauji Ashikaga (足利尊氏, 1305-1358), the first Shogun (r.1338-1358) of the Muromachi Shogunate government (室町幕府) is said to have been born here in the 3rd year of Kagen (嘉元3年) or 1305. It belongs to the Rinzai-shu Tofuku-ji-ha sect (臨済宗東福寺派) of Zen Buddhism.

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(Sunday 14 March) Billboard of Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) Billboard of Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) The well used for Takauiji Ashikaga's first bath (尊氏公産湯の井戸) along the approach to Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) The well used for Takauiji Ashikaga's first bath along the approach to Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) The well used for Takauiji Ashikaga's first bath along the approach to Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) The well used for Takauiji Ashikaga's first bath along the approach to Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) The well used for Takauiji Ashikaga's first bath along the approach to Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) Stone steps to Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) Stone steps to Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) "San-mon" (山門) Gate, Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) "San-mon" (山門) Gate, Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) "San-mon" (山門) Gate, Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) "Hon-do" (本堂; the main hall), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) "Hon-do" (本堂; the main hall), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) "Hon-do" (本堂; the main hall), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) "Hon-do" (本堂; the main hall), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) the three seated images of the Shakyamuni triad (釈迦三尊坐像) made by Goen (豪円) in 1339, the main hall of Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) "Kuri" (庫裡), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) "Oni-gawara" (鬼瓦; a roofing tile with the figure of a devil), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) Another "Oni-gawara" (鬼瓦; a roofing tile with the figure of a devil), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) A small shrine called "Myoken-do" (妙見堂), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) A small shrine of Tenman-gu (天満宮), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) A small hall of "Roku-jizo" (六地蔵; Jizo of the Six States of Existence), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) "Sho-ro" (鐘楼; the Belfry), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) A hall of Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple, 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City

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(Sunday 14 March) "Kaisan-do" (開山堂; the Founder's Hall) called "Shoko-an" (正賓庵), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) Gate to "Kaisan-do" (開山堂; the Founder's Hall) called "Shoko-an" (正賓庵), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) "Kaisan-do" (開山堂; the Founder's Hall) called "Shoko-an" (正賓庵), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) "Kaisan-do" (開山堂; the Founder's Hall) called "Shoko-an" (正賓庵), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) Three "Hokyoin-to" (宝篋印塔; the Stone Stupas), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple: the left one for Kiyoko Uesugi (上杉清子; mother of Takauji, 1270-1343), the middle one for Takauji Ashikaga, the right one for Toko Akahashi (赤橋 登子, wife of Takauji, 1306-1365).

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(Sunday 14 March) Three "Hokyoin-to" (宝篋印塔; the Stone Stupas), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple: the left one for Kiyoko Uesugi (上杉清子; mother of Takauji, 1270-1343), the middle one for Takauji Ashikaga, the right one for Toko Akahashi (赤橋 登子, wife of Takauji, 1306-1365).

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(Sunday 14 March) Graves near the Three "Hokyoin-to" (宝篋印塔; the Stone Stupas), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

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(Sunday 14 March) Graves near the Three "Hokyoin-to" (宝篋印塔; the Stone Stupas), Keitoku-zan Ankoku-ji Temple

        

Copyright (c) 2010 Eishiro Ito.  All rights reserved.