 Most viewed - Bamba-juku 番場宿 |
Bamba-juku (Banba-juku) does not have any train stations within walking distance. The closest is Maibara and Samegai Stations. Buses and taxi available. From Samegai, go on Route 21 until you reach this intersection (3 km from Bamba) where you turn left.255 views
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Bamba Chutaro Jizo-son statue, based on a character in the novel "Mabuta-no-Haha" 瞼の母 by Hasegawa Shin (1884-1963) 長谷川伸. 番場忠太郎167 views
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A stone found in a river bank. Since it has a hole, it is thought to be a foundation stone for a building's pillar.156 views
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Rengeji Hondo Hall, Banba-juku, Maibara, Shiga. Quite a few emperors favored this temple. The 95th Emperor Hanazono (1297-1348) gave the temple an Imperial sanction to receive Imperial prayers. Hence, the temple's Imperial crest. 蓮華寺143 views
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Inside Rengeji Hondo Hall, main altar at the center. There are two figures: Amida Nyorai and Shaka Nyorai. Jodo-shu Buddhist sect. 蓮華寺 本堂141 views
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Naotaka Shrine, dedicated to Lord Ii Naotaka, the third lord of Hikone Castle. 直孝神社140 views
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Bamba-juku monument131 views
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Kitano Shrine64 views
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Path to Kamaha Castle, a mountaintop castle in the distance. Only stone walls remain. 鎌刃城56 views
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Turn left to hike to Kamaha Castle ruins. 鎌刃城55 views
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Map of Kamaha Castle. 鎌刃城53 views
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Monument for a poem by Saito Mokichi (1882-1953). 斉藤茂吉の歌碑 「松風の音を聞くときは 古への 聖の如く 我は寂しむ」52 views
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Way to the graves of Hojo Nakatoki and his men who committed suicide.52 views
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Bamba today is a quiet, rural settlement. It is divided into east Bamba and west Bamba.49 views
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Site of another Toiya-ba.49 views
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Then you'll see a fork in the road. Take the smaller right road which is the former Nakasendo Road.48 views
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Grave of the lord of Kamaha Castle who helped to rebuild the Rengeji temple.48 views
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There are more steps which lead to graves of temple priests and Saint Ikko's mausoleum.48 views
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Side of the Hondo48 views
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Temple garden. Best during spring when the flowers bloom.48 views
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Another welcome sign in Bamba-juku.47 views
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Rengeji is famous as the place where Hojo Nakatoki 北条仲時 and over 430 of his men committed suicide after being defeated by Ashikaga Takauji's forces during the fall of the Kamakura shogunate in 1333. This is a monument for this tragic event.47 views
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On the left of the Sanmon Gate is the "River of Blood." When Hojo Nakatoki and 430 of his men slit themselves on May 9, 1333, the blood became a river flowing here. It was during the Genko War when the Emperor Go-Daigo fought the Kamakura shogun47 views
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Hiroshige's woodblock print of Banba-juku from his Kisokaido series.47 views
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"River of Blood" sign. In charge of national security, Hojo Nakatoki was the last Rokuhara Tandai Kitakata chief from the Hojo clan in the Kamakura shogunate. When tourists see this sign, they become scared to enter the temple.46 views
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Rengeji temple belongs to the Jodo-shu Buddhist sect. The founding priest was Saint Ikko. With support from the lord of Kamaha Castle near Bamba, he was able to rebuild the temple and renamed it Rengeji. 一向上人46 views
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Bell tower. Cast during the time of Saint Ikko, the bell is an Important Cultural Property.46 views
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Behind the Hondo hall is a small hill with the Bamba Chutaro Jizo-son statue.46 views
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View from Hondo hall.46 views
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Welcome sign in Nakasendo Bamba-juku. (The orange object is a mailbox.)45 views
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Close-up of stone marker for the Waki-Honjin. There are no original buildings left in Bamba-juku related to the post town, except for Rengeji temple.45 views
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This is the area where Hojo Nakatoki and his men committed seppuku.45 views
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You will soon see this Hokuriku Highway overpass. Go under it.44 views
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Old Nakasendo Road to Bamba-juku, the sixty-second station or post town (shukuba) of the sixty-nine stations on the Nakasendo Road.44 views
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Memorial for Hojo Nakatoki and his men. They had lost to Ashikaga Takauji in the battle at Kyoto and were trying to escape to Kamakura, but was caught by Takauji's forces at Bamba.44 views
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The temple's third priest wrote the names and age (youngest was 14) of the known fallen warriors in a scroll. He also made these gravestones for them. Visuallly, it's very impressive edifice.44 views
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Finally a small sign on the left declaring "Nakasendo Bamba-no-juku."43 views
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Site of the Waki-Honjin on the right. Now a modern house. The Waki Honjin was the town's second-best lodge. 脇本陣跡43 views
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Site of the Honjin, the town's most exclusive inn for daimyo lords and other VIPs. This is not the original building. Just a private house. Near the Waki Honjin. 本陣跡43 views
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Inside Rengeji Hondo Hall, left altar.43 views
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Small mausoleum for Saint Ikko. 一向上人の御廟43 views
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Place where Emperor Meiji took a break. It was the site of another Toiya-ba.42 views
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Inside Rengeji Hondo Hall, main altar at the center. 蓮華寺 本堂42 views
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Inside is a Jizo-son statue worshipped for transportation safety.42 views
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Graves of Hojo Nakatoki and his men from the Rokuhara Tandai. 北条仲時一行の墓42 views
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Right after passing under the Meishin Expressway, you see Rengeji's Sanmon Gate. 蓮華寺 山門41 views
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Wooden insignia on Sanmon Gate with the Imperial crest on the left. The temple was originally founded by Prince Shotoku Taishi about 1,300 years ago. He named it Horyuji 法隆寺. After being struck by lightning, it was rebuilt in 1284.41 views
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The gravestones have five levels. In fall, the surrounding maple leaves turn blood red.41 views
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The island in the middle has a Bamba-juku monument.40 views
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Intersection with a Bamba-juku stone monument. A good place to rest and eat your box lunch.40 views
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Bamba-juku stone monument.40 views
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Smack dab in front of Rengeji temple is this monstrosity that is the Meishin Expressway.40 views
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Rest assured, it's very peaceful in the temple. Rengeji's Sanmon Gate (right) and bell tower on left.40 views
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Over 430 gravestones. Hojo Nakatoki and his men were besieged in Bamba by Southern Imperial Court forces. They fought back, but lost and slit their bellies in front of Rengeji's Hondo main hall.40 views
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Bamba-juku monument marking the location of the Kure Ichirizuka milestone. 久禮の一里塚 MAP39 views
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Marker for site of a Toiya-ba which was a travel logistics office where you can get pack horses, forward your baggage, and find a place to stay in Bamba. 問屋場39 views
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On the left of the road is the path to Rengeji temple.39 views
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Mausoleum of Saint Ikko Shunsho.39 views
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Naotaka Shrine Honden Hall39 views
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Bamba-juku is the third Nakasendo station in Shiga, following Samegai-juku which is also in Maibara.38 views
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Next to the Bamba-juku stone monument is an old map of Bamba-juku.38 views
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Stone marker with a finger pointing the way to Maibara Port where you can board a boat to go to Otsu via Lake Biwa. This is at the same intersection across from the Bamba-juku stone monument.38 views
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Going further down the road in Bamba.38 views
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Path to Rengeji temple.38 views
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Until 1943, the temple was a dojo for the Jishu Ikko sect. It then converted to Jodo-shu. Admission is charged, I think 300 yen. There's a unmanned collection box near the entrance.38 views
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Rengeji Hondo Hall's framed nameplate. The temple's name was written by Emperor Go-Mizunoo (1596–1680).38 views
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Memorial for victims of the Pacific War.38 views
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Also behind the Hondo is this Ikko-sugi tree, 700 years old. Named after the temple's founding priest Saint Ikko, it was planted where Ikko was cremated. Over 30 meters high and 5 meters wide. 一向杉38 views
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Naotaka Shrine38 views
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Marker indicating that Emperor Meiji took a break here once.37 views
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Red plum blossoms in front of Rengeji Hondo Hall, in early April.37 views
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A few steps up a slope.37 views
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Graves of previous temple priests.36 views
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View behind the Hondo.36 views
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Inside Rengeji Hondo Hall, right altar.35 views
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From Rengeji temple, a short distance away on the Nakasendo Road is this path to Naotaka Shrine.35 views
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Naotaka Shrine torii35 views
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The shrine has no human staff, but a security camera operates.35 views
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There's no explanation about the shrine.35 views
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