attractions

Hoshakuji temple
17th century

Ancient glory of Oyamazaki as the Western entry of Kyoto Prefecture

Oyamazaki is situated at the southwestern part of Kyoto, which also forms the western entry of Kyoto prefecture. The area has been well-known as a main entry point of the prefecture since ancient time. In the 8th century, a Japanese Buddhism priest, Gyoki, who was famous for his fund-raising activity to build a great Buddha statue at Todaiji Temple in Nara, built a big bridge nearby Yodogawa River. This also encouraged river traffic, and in the 9th century, the area had become the relay point of river transport between Kyoto and Osaka Bay.
At the same time, the Imperial Family and many nobles started to build their holiday residences here because of its picturesque landscape and good access to the city centre.
In the 12th century, refining method for perilla oil was first invented and developed here. As a result, the area owned the nation wide oil trading right, providing the lighting oil to all the people in Japan.
In the 17th century, being along the ancient route between Kyoto and Kyushu, called Saigoku-kaido, it was flourished as an inn town for travelers and feudal lords coming and going from Kyoto to the west and the south.