Rokuhara (六波羅)

Rokuhara is a name of an area spanning from Gojo-oji Street on the east bank of Kamo-gawa River to Shichijo-oji Street in Kyoto. Rokuhara is a part of an area which is currently Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City. Rokuhara is usually written as "六波羅" and also as "六原".

History
In 951, Kuya founded Saiko-ji (Seiko-ji) Temple here and it is said that Chushin (a Buddhist priest) later changed the name to Rokuharamitsu-ji Temple and, therefore, the zone was called Rokuhara.

This area was located at the entrance for visiting Toribeno which was a place for the Kyoto residents to be buried, from central Kyoto and, therefore, this area had many temples such as the Rokudochinno-ji (Rokudochinko-ji) Temple constructed therein and was a prosperous place of belief.

In the days of Insei (government of cloistered emperors) here, TAIRA no Masamori constructed a memorial hall for his family and son, TAIRA no Tadamori placed 'Rokuhara yakata' and determined this yakata (residence) as a base for warriors. The Ise-Heishi (Ise Taira clan) of Masamori and his son are believed to have chosen Rokuhara as their base because they were originally from Ise Province and Rokuhara had in its vicinity main roads leading from Kyoto to Ise and the eastern provinces. In the days of TAIRA no Kiyomori, Rokuhara became the center of the Taira clan government, however, Kiyomori later constructed his 'Nishihachijo residence' in central Kyoto and moved his base to this residence. However, the base of the Taira clan continued in Rokuhara yakata. When the Taira family was exiled from Kyoto in 1183, the Rokuhara yakata was burned down.

After the Taira clan was exiled from Kyoto, Rokuhara was given to MINAMOTO no Yoritomo, and Tokimasa HOJO, who became Kyoto shugo, built buildings there for Kyoto shugo (where Tokisada HOJO of the Hojo clan were later stationed) and residents of Yoritomo and gokenin (an immediate vassal of the shogunate in the Kamakura and Muromachi through Edo period). However, in Rokujo Horikawa, Yoritomo had a residence which had been handed down through generations in Kawachi-Genji (Minamoto clan), and after Tokimasa the Kyoto shugo had many warriors from court nobles who had long lived in Kyoto and used their own residences as their offices so, the warriors from the eastern provinces, who had no bases in Kyoto like the Hojo clan, often used Rokuhara as their base.

In 1221, the rokuhara tandai (Rokuhara deputies) was founded as the disposition for the Imperial court after Jokyu Rebellion. In addition, residences of warriors who served tandai were constructed around tandai.
Around rokuhara tandai, the residence used when seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") came to central Kyoto was constructed, and members of the Imperial Family from the Jimyoin line such as, Retired Emperor Hanazono and Imperial Prince Kazuhito, established their temporary residences in Hinoki-kawaya, a place for the shogun to stay, inside an area north of Rokuhara tandai during the Genko Incident ("Zokushigusho," "Masukagami" (a historical story), etc.)

In 1333, Rokuhara tandai was attacked by Takauji ASHIKAGA and collapsed. Because the Muromachi bakufu was based in central Kyoto, warriors living there decreased and temples, were again constructed and the town recovered religious character and became cheerful with cultural activities targeting visitors to temples with entertainment and tea stands.

In 1869, Kyoto Rokuhara Elementary school was founded named after 'Rokuhara.'

[Original Japanese]