[Kanao Village] (Gojo City, Nara Prefecture, formerly Yamato Province) <Another capital city surrounded by deep mountains. Linking history and literature, it is filled with timeless charm.

The so-called "Southern Court" that arose in the first half of the 14th century is famous for having established a temporary palace in Yoshino, Yamato Province (present-day Nara Prefecture) in opposition to the "Northern Court" in Kyoto. However, Yoshino fell to the Northern Court forces in 1348, and thereafter the Southern Court asserted its authority from Kanao on the western foot of Yoshino. Kanao is located on the banks of the Nyukawa River, which runs north through the deep mountain valley of Omine, and when you actually visit the area, you will find it to be a tranquil small village that makes it hard to believe that an imperial court once existed in this valley (and what's more, when the Northern Court temporarily surrendered to the Southern Court in 1351, Kanao became Japan's nominal only capital). On the other hand, the road that runs through the region (National Route 168) has a surprisingly large amount of traffic, and the ancient ridge road leading to Mount Yoshino and Gojo remains, suggesting that it was an easy-to-defend and strategic location that allowed for free movement. The area of ​​Kanao is located on the mountain that connects Mount Koya and Yoshino, and was a key location for mountain traffic, with Emperor Go-Daigo (1288-1339) using it as a temporary base before entering Yoshino. The local lord Hori clan took root in Kanao, and devotedly supported the successive emperors of the Southern Court. As a result, the Southern Court, exposed to the offensive of the Northern Court in large numbers, continued to resist tenaciously, relying on the ruggedness of the mountains and the hearts of the people who were loyal to the emperor. Thanks to this, in 1352, they broke the internal strife within the Northern Court and advanced on Kyoto. Morale was soaring when three retired emperors, including Emperor Kogon (1313-1364) of the Northern Court, were abducted to Gano. The Southern Court was united with the Northern Court in 1392 and finally lowered its flag in Gano, but the shadow of the Southern Court continued to permeate the culture of Gano, as the area became a stage for the movements of the so-called "Later Southern Court" (a force that appeared intermittently throughout the Muromachi period and claimed to be a descendant of the Southern Court) which aimed to restore the Southern Court. Its influence is still great today, and at the Gano Village History and Folklore Museum, many relics and traditions of the Southern Court are on display and explained. Behind the museum, on the mountainside, there is the grave of Kitabatake Chikafusa (1293-1354), the de facto leader of the Southern Court. He was also the foremost scholar of his time and famous for writing the book "Jinnō Shōtōki" which explained the legitimacy of the Southern Court. The Hori clan's mansion still exists, with its magnificent thatched roof shrouded in deep shadows and the impressive plaque reading "Imperial Palace" left behind by the Tenchūgumi (a group of rogue samurai who rose up in rebellion in 1863 as a pioneer of the Sonnō Joi movement. They fought all over Yamato but were defeated by the Shogunate forces) at the end of the Edo period. Since 2019, it has also operated as a lodging facility and restaurant under the name "Kanau Former Imperial Palace", making it easy for tourists to visit. Inside the building, you can enjoy Italian food made with locally produced ingredients while experiencing the history of the Hori clan, who have inherited precious cultural artifacts for hundreds of years, and the architectural value of the house. This strange harmony stirs up various thoughts. As I was lost in such imagination, I remembered a scene from volume 39 of "Taiheiki." The setting is exactly in Kanao, and personally, it is one of the most memorable passages in all of Japanese classical literature. During the reign of Emperor Go-Murakami (1328-1368), the second reigning Emperor of the Southern Court, a monk visits the Imperial Palace in Kanao with a small retinue in the midst of the harsh winter cold in the mountains. Incredibly, the monk is actually the disguised Emperor Kogon of the Northern Court, who returned to Kyoto several years ago after being released from his imprisonment in Kanao and went on a pilgrimage around the country. The emperor meets his sworn enemy, Emperor Go-Murakami, and they spend the night talking. He recounted that after he was caught up in the war that destroyed the Kamakura Shogunate at a young age, he was engulfed in bloody conflict with no rest, but he realized how sad the world was and wished to serve the Buddhist path and make all things in nature his friends. Emperor Go-Murakami and the nobles of the Southern Court were moved to tears to see the retired emperor, who had once been the central figure in the strife that divided Japan in two, speaking with a clear conscience. Eventually, the retired emperor stepped firmly on his straw sandals along the snow-covered mountain path and departed to wherever he might be. Emperor Go-Murakami saw him off himself and mourned their eternal farewell. When you think about it, the emperors of both courts were symbols of firmly incompatible ideologies, but in reality they were merely caught up in the political strife between samurai and nobles, and perhaps they shared a tragic sense of futility in the midst of the endless war. This dramatic meeting between the leaders of the two courts is highly creative yet appealing to people's hearts with a sense of realism, giving the land of Kanao a mysterious charm. Recommended for solo travelers: ★★★★★ (You can explore to your heart's content. It's almost a private venue!) Visit date: Around 12:00 on the first Saturday of October Access: About 20 minutes by car from Gojo IC #Kanao #Kanao no Sato History and Folklore Museum #Kanao Former Imperial Palace Kanau #Yoshino #Yoshinoyama #Nara #Nara Prefecture #Nara Trip #Nara Tourism #I'm a Nara School #Delicious and Beautiful Nara #Now Back to Nara #Nara Beauty #Gojo City #Domestic Travel Lover #Nanboku-cho Period #Southern Court #Taiheiki #Kitabatake Chikafusa #Japanese Literature #Classical Literature #Nara Gourmet #Wooden Architecture