Escape to a samurai village

Yagyu, Nara

Most people don’t associate “peace and tranquility” with the words “samurai village” but at the village of Yagyu, the words come easily together. Yagyu, a little hamlet in the hills 45 minutes by bus from Nara City has a lot to offer.

The Yagyu clan, which gave its name to this village, developed the Shinkage Ryu style of kendo, which is considered to be a superior form of fighting. Yagyu family members in the village today allow the museums and shrines in their hometown to tell their family history.

A popular attraction here is Hotokuji. A small temple on the top of a hill, Hotokuji is the shrine of the Yagyu family. Walking towards the moat many visitors stop to clap their hands over the water and attract the carp there. Passing through the low gate at the top of the stairs, you are welcomed by a small garden and pond.

The recently rebuilt museum wing of the shrine offers a glimpse of the less tranquil past that made the town and its leaders famous. Armor, practice swords and scrolls about battlefield tactics are displayed behind glass cases. Heirlooms, such as helmets and sword guards, also grace the displays. Many of the descriptions are in Japanese, but it’s not hard to figure out the purpose behind most of the artifacts.

Passing through the museum, you find a more traditional shrine. Visitors are welcomed to sit and admire the view of the stone garden and bask in the sun.

Yagyu members were on the battlefields of Sekigahara, Osaka Castle and countless others. One of the most bizarre battles is said to have taken place in the hills near Hotokuji at Itto No Seki.

Translated as One Cut Stone, Itto No Seki is where one Yagyu ancestor defeated a creature called a tengu. Half man, half crow, tengu was said to haunt forests and was blamed for disappearances. According to legend, Muneyoshi Yagyu walked into the woods with his wooden sword and confronted one such creature.

At one point, Muneyoshi struck at the tengu but missed. His swing was so powerful it split a boulder in half. The lightning bolt shaped crack down the three meter high stone is still visible today and is another shrine.

Friendlier spirits can be encountered here. Kinsei Jozo Gomei Kaisha, or as the villagers likely refer to it “the sake brewery near the bus stop” offers its own dedication to the Yagyu clan and have named several of their brews after famous swordsmen.

Ranging from light blue to milky white and clear, the sake is brewed on the premises and samples are offered free in the cool sitting area of the shop. A blue and white awning keeps the sun at bay and visitors are invited to sample as much as they like. Bottles range from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000. The bottles dedicated to Miyamoto Musashi, a rival of the Yagyu clan sold out quickly according to the owner. Bottles dedicated to the Yagyu family, with a sheathed sword on the label, are probably the most popular souvenirs from the shop.

Other attractions in the town include the Yagyu Family Museum, a white building on the west side of town which contains heir- looms. Strangely, the main attraction of the town is the hiking trail to Nara City. Hikers take the bus to town to walk out again after a few minutes there. Trails crisscross the hills and offer stone carvings and statues, which date back to the 1500s.

Text & photos: Charlie Harrington