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Covered with literally thousands of cherry trees, the slopes of Mount Yoshino have been
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considered for centuries as the best area in Japan to see cherry blossoms in spring.
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However, unknown to many is the rich history that Yoshino
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also boasts, being home to a multitude of impressive shrines and temples many of which
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have played important roles in the area's centuries-long history.
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And it's because of this that the town makes for a worthwhile side trip
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from Osaka at any time of the year.
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Yoshino played a prominent role in Japan's history during the rule of Emperor Go-Daigo
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in the 1300s when an imperial succession dispute led to the establishment of
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two rivaling emperors and imperial courts.
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The Emperor Go-Daigo fled to Yoshino, south of Kyoto
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and his court became known as the Southern Court
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as opposed to the newly established Northern Court in Kyoto.
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The dispute continued for 56 years until the Southern Court gave in.
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In addition, it is the spiritual center and pilgrimage destination for those who practice
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the religion of mountain worship known as Shugendo.
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Its nature, history, and spirituality make Yoshino a place like no other
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and this is exactly where we're going today.
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I'm Sam Evans, staff-writer for japan-guide.com.
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And today I'm on assignment in Yoshino.
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Here's the plan: We'll depart Osaka-Abenobashi station and take the train directly to Yoshino Station
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Also note that this route is entirely covered by the KINTETSU RAIL PASS 2day version
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which enables savings if also used on a second day to travel to another location covered by the pass
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including Kyoto, Nara and Osaka.
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From Yoshino Station we'll walk to Kinpusenji
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an ancient temple and center of Shugendo.
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after this we'll sit down to a lunch of sushi served in a way that is unique to Yoshino.
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Next we'll move on to Yoshimizu Shrine.
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Before arriving at our accommodation for the night
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we'll drop by another important Shugendo temple.
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Sakuramotobo, before reaching Chikurinin Gunpoen
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a centuries old temple where travelers can stay overnight.
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So follow along as we go on a short side trip from Osaka to Yoshino.
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Shugendo is a mixture of the religions of Buddhism and Shinto
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and concentrates heavily on mountain worship.
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After getting the train to Yoshino station, we've made the walk up the mountain
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to the main part of town and arrived at Kinpusenji temple
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one of the most important sites in Shugendo
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and start of the pilgrimage train goes all the way from here up to Mount Ominesan.
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So we're at Yakko, a restaurant across the road from Kinpusenji.
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And I'm about to indulge in a local specialty, kakinohazushi.
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Which is sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves.
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Now the reason they do this is because Yoshino is far from the sea.
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So, back in the old days they needed a means of transporting this fish up here
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without it spoiling.
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So what did they do?
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They wrapped it in persimmon leaf
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because persimmon leaf has a natural antibacterial quality.
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That's incredible.
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Now that we are properly fed and watered it's time to head ten minutes further up the street
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to the historic Yoshimizu Shrine.
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Since it was first built over 1200 years ago in the 8th century
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Yoshimizu Shrine has been the site of several important historic events.
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So we've arrived at Yoshinomizu shrine.
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Now in the 14th century Emperor Go-Daigo fled Kyoto and came here to set up his southern
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court in opposition to the northern court that remained in Kyoto.
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So that means that during that time, this place effectively served as an imperial palace.
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Our last stop before finding out accommodation for the night is Sakuramotobo Temple.
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Another center of Shugendo mountain worship with a long history
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and many facets of the complex to explore
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And finally, it's time to check-in at our lodging, Chikurinin Gunpoen
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which has been putting up pilgrims for centuries
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and is now both a fully functioning ryokan as well as a temple.
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So we're here at Chikurinin Gunpoen where we'll be spending the night.
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Now, this temple has for centuries been accommodation for the yamabushi
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and is known, among other things, for its beautiful landscape garden out back.
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For now it's time to tuck-in to this beautiful-looking ryokan meal.
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So, itadakimasu.
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And that concludes our short side trip from Osaka to Yoshino.
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For more information about this itinerary or to watch another video
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click the links on the screen now or head over to japan-guide.com
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Happy travels.