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～ Why Is Fushimi Famous for Its Pure Spring Water? ～
～ Why Is Fushimi Famous for Its Pure Spring Water? ～
Hello.
I am a curator who enjoys collecting stories about Fushimi and wandering through the town whenever inspiration strikes.
Recently, I attended a lecture titled “Exploring the History of Fushimi Through Its Famous Waters,” part of the event series “Rediscovering the Charms Along the Keihan Railway – A Journey Through the Blessings of Water.”
The lecturer was Professor Yasuhisa Suzuki of the Faculty of Sociology at Kyoto Sangyo University, who is also well known as the guide and narrator of the KBS Kyoto television program “Kyō no Mizumono-gatari” (Stories of Kyoto’s Waters).
I had always associated Fushimi with sake brewing, but this lecture helped me realize once again how deeply the town’s history and prosperity have been shaped by water.
The lecture began with an introduction to the abundant groundwater that lies beneath Fushimi.
The area is blessed with a rich supply of high-quality groundwater, which has supported not only the sake industry but also many other businesses and the daily lives of local residents.
We rarely have the opportunity to see the water flowing beneath our feet.
Yet it is fascinating to think that this invisible resource has nurtured the town of Fushimi for hundreds of years.
The lecture also introduced several famous springs and wells that still remain in Fushimi today.
Among them were Gokōsui, Shiragikusui, and Fujinomizu at Fujinomori Shrine—some names I had heard before and others that were completely new to me.
It made me think:
“Come to think of it, there was a well there too.”
“Next time I walk around town, I should pay more attention to the water.”
Places we pass every day without a second thought may actually hold stories of the water that supported Fushimi throughout its history.
《Note》
A “famous water” (meisui) is not simply water that tastes good. Rather, it is water that has been given a name so that it may be remembered and passed down to future generations. In other words, it is water that has received a specific identity and recognition.
The lecture was not limited to groundwater. It also explored rivers, canals, and other “water routes.”
Fushimi developed as an important center of transportation and logistics from ancient times.
The gathering of people and goods, and the flourishing of commerce, were all closely connected to the presence of water.
When viewed from this perspective, it may not be an exaggeration to say that the history of Fushimi is, in many ways, a history of water itself.
《Note》
Several famous waters in Fushimi were named by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. However, there appear to be no famous waters that were named by Tokugawa Ieyasu.
One of the biggest impressions I took away from the lecture was that it gave me a new perspective on exploring Fushimi.
Until now, my attention had naturally been drawn to temples, shrines, historical sites, and sake breweries.
From now on, I would also like to pay closer attention to wells, springs, and the flow of rivers and canals.
If you have the opportunity to walk around Fushimi, I encourage you to keep an eye out for its water.
You may discover something new hidden within a familiar landscape.
《Note》
Fushimi was once home to a group of famous wells known collectively as the “Fushimi Seven Wells” (Fushimi Shichitsui).
These celebrated wells were already well known during the Edo period and symbolized the abundance of high-quality groundwater that characterized Fushimi.
The seven wells were:
• Iwai (also known as Ishii no Gokōsui)
• Shiragikui
• Kasugai
• Tokiwai
• Kokeshimizu
• Takenaka Shimizu
• Tanaka Shimizu
Today, only Iwai (Ishii no Gokōsui) survives in its original form.
The others either remain only through successor springs and water sources or have become difficult to identify with certainty.
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