Peace and Providence Place — Attraction in Izu

The trailhead is just up the hill from the toilets at the free parking. Don't follow the google maps directions that require you to walk up the main road and turn left. I did with my friend and we followed a unmaintained trail. It as was an adventure and easy to get lost as there are many crisscrossing trails and paths. There were maps just past the toilets at the parking lot. We found them after we came down on the same rough trail. Bring a picnic lunch or snack. There are a couple of picnic tables at the parking area. The maps are in the little birdhouse style box. The sign map that you see on top of the mountain are the cute Japanese style signs with the color codes and two kids in a playground center right, surrounded by green for forest. I have a lot of imagination and experience with orienteering. This map had no visual relationship to the terrain on top of...

I was delighted to visit this castle site from the late Heian period. The Kudos who ruled this part of Izuvia were part of the Fujiwara colonial system that attempted to control key regions as the Japanese warrior class evolved. There's nothing left of the castle, but the story of Kudo's ruling this area and participating in the Hojo supremacy is a part of understanding how the Minamoto Yoritomo bakufu...

源頼朝の挙兵に最初から従い、山木判官兼隆を討ち取るとき大きな功績を挙げた狩野茂光の居城です。 しかし、石橋山の合戦で源頼朝は大敗し、狩野茂光も討ち死にしてしまい、この城も平家方の集中攻撃を受け落城してしまいました。 これにより、中伊豆一帯の豪族の中心的存在であった狩野家は、一族離散の憂き目にあいます。 その後、一族の末柄･狩野景信が、室町幕府六代将軍足利義教に画才を賞賛され、京の画壇に彗星の如く現れました。その子供である狩野元信が、日本絵画界で名を馳せ一世を風靡する絵師集団【狩野派】を起こします。 狩野一族が残した数々の絵画は、豪華絢爛たる画風と共に、今も輝きを放っています。

【新情報】 近年の調査で狩野氏は、戦国時代の梟雄【北条早雲】の伊豆侵攻時には、堀越公方と共に、最後まで抵抗しましたが、足利茶々丸が自害した事から、降伏したと考えられ、その後小田原北条氏の評定衆の中に加わっていたことから、降伏後、狩野氏が北条家家臣の中枢で活...