Amanokaguyama Shrine & Jitō's Poem Stele
Visit a small wooded shrine on Mount Kagu and read the Manyoshu verse that inspired Jitō's image of summer arriving on the sacred mountain.
Verified site photographs are being prepared.Discover Amanokaguyama Shrine & Jitō's Poem Stele
Amanokaguyama Shrine sits on the lower slopes of Mount Kagu, one of the Yamato Sanzan hills associated with the landscape of the ancient Fujiwara capital. Kashihara City identifies Kushimachi-no-Mikoto as the shrine's deity and describes the hahaka tree, also known by the old name niwazakura, as a plant once used in divination. The Kojiki's heavenly-rock-cave episode tells of divination using the hide of a deer from Mount Kagu and the bark of this tree; this is a mythic tradition, not a surviving account of a datable historical ritual. The precinct contains a modern stele for Emperor Jitō's poem about white garments drying on Mount Kagu after spring has passed. Nara Prefecture's Manyo database places that stele inside the shrine grounds and dates it to between 1978 and 1984. The same verse is carved on another monument east of Daigoike; its inscription and setting must not be conflated with this shrine's separate stone. This stop connects a living sacred landscape, a local shrine tradition and a celebrated seasonal poem.
Read Jitō's poem in its landscape
The stele bears the verse: 「春すぎて 夏来るらし 白栲の 衣ほしたり 天の香久山」—often rendered in English as an observation that spring has passed, summer seems to have arrived, and white garments are drying on Mount Kagu. The Manyoshu attributes it to Empress Jitō. Its compact image turns a distant mountain into a seasonal sign: the white cloth can be read against the green slope and bright sky, although the poem does not specify a modern viewpoint or the exact spot where the historical poet stood.
Distinguish the poem stele from other Kagu monuments
The Nara Prefecture Manyo database identifies this particular Jitō stele as monument 289, records its location within Amanokaguyama Shrine, names Nakao Teishū as calligrapher and places its installation between 1978 and 1984; the installer is not identified. It is separate from other Manyoshu monuments in the wider Mount Kagu area, including a different poem associated with Kakinomoto no Hitomaro. Use the inscription and location record together when identifying the stones rather than treating every monument mentioning Kagu as the same one.
Notice the shrine's wooded approach
Kashihara City's visitor page shows a quiet approach with stone lanterns, a torii and steps among trees. The shrine is a modest precinct rather than a staffed museum: visit for its setting and traditions, keep voices low, and treat worship areas and trees respectfully. The city describes the hahaka tree tradition through the Kojiki's divination episode; folklore and religious tradition should be understood as cultural context, not as proof that the present tree is the exact ancient specimen.
Place the shrine on Mount Kagu
Mount Kagu is one of the Yamato Sanzan, the three hills around the Fujiwara-kyō landscape, and the Kashihara tourism association lists it separately as a nature destination. The shrine lies on the mountain's northern side. A visit to this shrine does not establish that you have completed a summit walk; routes, trail conditions and access to other shrines on the hill should be checked separately. Nearby sites include Amanoiwato Shrine and the Fujiwara Palace Site, but they are distinct stops with their own routes.
Use the current bus timetable, not an assumed frequent service
Kashihara City estimates about 20 minutes on foot from JR Kaguyama Station and about 15 minutes from the Minamiura-chō or Bessho-chō community-bus stops. Its community-bus timetable, revised 1 October 2026, lists seven weekday trips each way on the Yamato-Yagi–Kashihara Insect Museum route, with Minamiura about 24–27 minutes from Yamato-Yagi. On weekends and holidays, the longer route toward Asuka runs only three trips that serve Minamiura in each direction; check the city table for the exact day and connection. The common fare is ¥220 for adults and ¥110 for children, paid after boarding; IC cards are accepted. Kashihara City now links real-time bus locations and arrival estimates. These walk estimates are not a step-free route assessment. The shrine has no published staffed reception, visitor hours, admission, toilet, parking or English interpretation; check local notices and do not assume a map pin marks the poem stone's exact position.
What to look for
A Manyoshu image made visible
The shrine grounds hold the modern stele for Jitō's poem about summer arriving over Mount Kagu.
A shrine tradition linked to divination
Kashihara City describes the hahaka tree and its place in the Kojiki's heavenly-rock-cave story.
A quiet foothill stop
Combine the shrine with a separately planned Mount Kagu or Fujiwara-kyō visit.
Photo notes
No third-party image is licensed for MyNara. The city tourism page provides visitor context but does not grant image-reuse rights. Ask the shrine or rights holder before publication-oriented photography or reusing any photograph, and respect worshippers, barriers and posted notices.
Make a day of it
Explore guides close to this map point, then check the actual route before travelling. Distances below are straight lines, not walking distances or travel times; map points may not be entrances.
Sources & editorial status
Original MyNara draft based on the linked sources. Sources reviewed 21 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.
- Nara Prefecture Manyo Authority — poem stele 289: inscription, calligrapher, date range and shrine-precinct location
- Kashihara City — shrine deity, hahaka-tree tradition, address and walking access
- Kashihara City Tourism Association — shrine and local tradition
- Kashihara City Tourism Association — Mount Kagu and Yamato Sanzan context
- Nara Prefecture Visitors Bureau — address and access
- Kashihara City — community-bus timetable effective 1 October 2026, fares and real-time tracking