About Uda City 【Utano】
Utano: Where Ancient Mythology Is Still Alive.
Utano has been a mythical town since ancient times. ‘Udano Mikumari Shrine’ is an ancient shrine that has been designated as a national treasure, and a traditional autumn festival that has been held for more than 1000 years is held here annually in October. In Utano, fur and leather industries has been well developed.
宇太水分神社 Udano Mikumari Shrine
The main shrine, built in Kamakura period, has been designated as a national treasure. Inside the shrine grounds, there is a giant cedar called Couple Cedar, which is a symbol of marital harmony.
Address
245 Utano-Furuichiba, Uda City, Nara Prefecture, 633-2226
Access
From Kintetsu Haibara Station, take a bus bound for ‘Utano’. Get off at ‘Furuichiba’, then walk for 5 minutes.
うたの秋祭り Utano Autumn Festival
This traditional local festival is believed to have started in the 9th century. On the third Sunday of October every year, the goddess from Soja-Mikumari Shrine (Hono, Utano) makes a long procession to the Uta Mikumari Shrine to meet her husband god. The highlight of the festival is a competitive performance of six Taikodai (a float to carry drums on), carried by the locals from each area in Utano. This is quite a sight. Performances of Taikodai is held at Udano Mikumari Shrine.
Address
245 Utano-Furuichiba, Uda City, Nara Prefecture, 633-2226
Access
From Kintetsu Haibara Station, take a bus bound for ‘Utano’. Get off at ‘Furuichiba Mikumari Jinja’, then walk for 5 minutes.
カエデの郷ひらら World Maple Park ‘Hirara’
This World Maple Park ‘Hirara’ has over 3000 maple trees with 1200 different species collected from around the world. A beautifully restored old schoolhouse is now used as a library, a café, and a gueshouse. These maple trees look most beautiful in early summer, when the trees start to burst into leaves.
Address
135-2 Utano-Furuichiba, Uda City, Nara Prefecture, 633-2226
Access
From Kintetsu Haibara Station, take a bus bound for ‘Utano’. Get off at ‘Furuichiba’, then walk for 5 minutes.
平井大師山石仏群 The Buddha Stone Statues on Mt. Hirai-Taishi
There are about 100 Buddha statues lying on Mt. Taishi, 88 of which are the imitation of the temples for the Shikoku 88 pilgrimage. These statues were created by a well-known mason in the late Edo period, Tanba-no-Sakichi, with his apprentices. The locals who cannot travel all the way to Shikoku for pilgrimage visited this place for imitation pilgrimage.
Address
630 Utano-Hirai, Uda City, Nara Prefecture, 633-2201
Access
From Kintetsu Haibara Station, take a bus bound for ‘Utano’. Get off at ‘Uta-Fujii’, then walk for 30 minutes.
日張山青蓮寺 Hibariyama Seiren-ji Temple
Seiren-ji is an isolated temple located deep within a mountain in Utano. This nunnery temple is associated with a tragic Princess Chujo, who was abused and nearly killed by her stepmother in the Nara Period (8th century). This temple offers tranquil and feminine atmosphere just like the princess is still here. This calm temple is a perfect place to get away from the bustle of everyday life.
Address
1439 Utano-Ukashi, Uda City, Nara Prefecture, 633-2223
Access
From Kintetsu Haibara Station, take a bus bound for ‘Utano’. Get off at ‘Ukashi’, then walk for 30 minutes.
八つ房杉 Yatsufusa-sugi Cedar
Inside the Sakurami Shrine stands a huge old cedar (about 2000 years old!) which is believed to have been planted by Emperor Jimmu, the first Emperor of Japan; while he was going on an expedition to the east and pitching a camp to conquer Yamato (Nara) area. This majestic-looking tree has eight trunks growing out of one stock, and intertangling one another.
Address
764 Utano-Sakura, Uda City, Nara Prefecture, 633-2224
Access
From Kintetsu Haibara Station, take a bus bound for ‘Utano’. Get off at ‘Sakurami Shrine’, then walk for 10 minutes.