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Nakaragi Path in Kyoto the Path of Cherry blossoms

The weather was great and the temperature rose up to 20 degree in 2022 April 8th.

Cherry blossoms along the Kamo River that is located in west of “Kyoto botanical garden” in eastern part of Kyoto.

It is becoming the great season to see the tunnel of cherry blossoms which length is about 800 meter.
This tunnel is located between two bridges, Kitayama Bridge and Kitaoji Bridge.
I could see lots of buds at this tunnel of cherry blossoms, so I think the best season for visiting this sight will be middle of April or next week.

Kamo-River

Weeping-cherry-blossom

Weeping-cherry-blossom-2

Path of Nakaragi

Nakaragi-no-Michi

Weeping-cherry-blossom-3

Currently “Path of Nakaragi” is popular place for viewing cherry blossoms around this spot in Kyoto.
You can see lots of beautiful plants such as Red Yoshino cherry tree, Yoshino Cherry tree, and azalea which are planted by Kyoto Kamogawa Lions Club in 1973.

There used to be a big rice field nearby the “Path of Nakaragi”, and the name of “Path of Nakaragi” was named after the place of rice field called “Forest of Nakaragi”.

Some part of nature of “Forest of Nakaragi” is protected at Kyoto botanical garden, and you can see  valuable natural plants which was seen at Yamashiro Basin.

There is “Nakaragi Shirne” which symbol is a god of protecting local nature and fabric industries, in “Forest of Nakaragi”.

God of nature is believed to help your continuous effort, because the god help plants to grow until it blooms. If you come near this spot, why don’t you visit and get some charms.

Nakaragi Shirine

Nakaragijinja

“Nakaragi Shrine” is world heritage site which is part of Kamigamo Shrine, but it is not located in Kamigamo Shrine’s main field. 

The name of “Nakaragi Shirine” has several hypothesis.
For example, the place of this shrine is located between “Kamigamo Shrine” and “Shimogamo Shrine”, so people named this place “Nakaragi” which means middle in Japanese.

The other hypothesis says that there was a flood near “Kamo River” and one of the important branch of tree from Kamigamo Shrine reached the place where “Nakaragi Shrine” is located.
After that people named the shrine “Nagaregi” which means “Drift wood” in Japanese, and it gradually changed to the current name “Nagaragi”.

The date of “Nakaregi Shrine” was constructed is not sure, but is is said that this shrine has existed since edo period.

Long time ago, there used to be a rice field which is cultivated by Kamo family in current botanical garden of Kyoto. This place was for famous for sericulture and good at selling silk items.
In Nara Period, some people called this place “Nishikigori no Sato” which means village of Kimono.

After a short period, the property of this field is given by the emperor formally to the Kamo family in Heian Period; 1018.  “Amenofutotamenomikoto” from “Awa no Kuni” enshrine Kamo Family as a god of Kimono in the place where “Nakaragi Shrine” is currently located.