In the Sugai district, a long history of settlement, the influence of the Kizu River, and several perspectives on historic routes come together. Those who choose Seika will find a specific way to explore the area’s history here: from settlement dating back to the Nara period to routes connecting Sugai with other sites.

Settlement History and Riverside Location

Sugai has been settled since the Nara period; in the Middle Ages, it was a fief of Kōfuku-ji. These two dates relate to different aspects: the Nara period marks the early beginnings of settlement, while the medieval fief reflects a later affiliation. Sugai’s location is also associated with a longer history of the area. According to one traditional account, the district was relocated because of frequent flooding. It attributes the floods to the Kizu River’s sharp turn north and describes a move to higher ground on the west bank. The river’s course and the history of settlement are thus linked in a specific way, though the traditional account need not be understood as a verified sequence of events.

The Traditional Settlement Landscape

Sugai’s traditional landscape includes winding paths, imposing Nagaya gates, stone walls, houses with white-plastered storehouses, and scattered estates. Kawai Kanjiro also described a magnificent estate in the Sugai district, surrounded by namako-patterned walls and gates. These two perspectives differ in scale: the paths, walls, gates, and storehouses shape the described settlement landscape, while Kawai Kanjiro’s account focuses on a single estate. Together, they offer an impression of the architectural features that characterize Sugai’s history.

Wells, Local Tradition, and Community

The Sugai Well was called “Sugashii Well” because of the clear spring water that bubbled up there, and it has long been cherished. A local tradition also explains the name Sugai through the well: Sugawara no Michizane is said to have stopped there on his way to Kyoto and drunk its water. This story remains a local tradition, distinct from the accounts of settlement and the medieval fief. Toyokawa Inari is also associated with the district. The shrine is cared for by a religious community made up of several Sugai households.

Historic Routes and Different Perspectives

A historic route connects the east side of Hōsono Station with the west side. It passes along the Kōriyama Road, by the monument to Revenge Jizō, the Norikoshi Embankment, and the Sugai settlement, then continues to Toyokawa Inari, Hōju-ji, and the Tenno Shrine. Other stops along the route include the Hatano-mae archaeological site, Inauê Shrine, Nyorai-ji, the Ueda settlement, Shaka Pond, and Raigō-ji. This places Sugai within a longer historic route whose stops extend beyond the district.

A different perspective is offered by a spring 1944 walk reconstructed from Kawai Kanjiro’s diaries and essays. It led from Daisen-dō along the paths of Yamada-gawa and through several other places to the Sugai area. This is distinct from the four-hour “In the Footsteps of Kawai Kanjiro through the Villages of Sugai and Ueda” walking tour, which is suitable for general visitors. The details answer different questions: the historic route identifies a sequence of places, the walk refers to spring 1944, and the tour specifies its duration and suitability for general visitors.

Discover more destinations: Kasagi, Maizuru, Yawata, Ayabe, Uji, Nagaoka-Kyō, Soraku District, Fukuchiyama

For the main travel overview: Kyoto Prefecture.