居醒めの清水
Ibu Sugi Spring, located at the foot of Mt. Ibuki in Maibara City, is known for its scenic beauty and famous water. The spring appears in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, and is associated with the legendary figure Yamato Takeru. Ibu Sugi Spring in Samegai-juku, the ninth closest post town to Kyoto on the old Nakasendo, was once a bustling stop for travelers.
Yamato Takeru, deeply connected to this spring, is described in the Nihon Shoki as the second prince of Emperor Keikō and in the Kojiki as the third prince. Originally named Ousu no Mikoto, he earned the name Yamato Takeru for his military prowess after defeating the Kumaso Takeru in Kyushu. The name "Takeru" is seen in other figures like Kumaso Takeru and Izumo Takeru.
After subduing the Kumaso Takeru, Yamato Takeru headed east, leaving various legends in places like Yaizu and Ashigara-zaka. He defeated the god of Saka in Shinano with garlic and entered Owari Province. After marrying his fiancée Miyazu-hime and leaving the Kusanagi Sword in Ise, he set out to subdue the wild god of Mt. Ibuki. He encountered a large white boar, ignored it as a divine messenger, but it was the god's incarnation, and he was severely injured by a hailstorm.
Despite facing the god's wrath, Yamato Takeru managed to regain his senses at Ibu Sugi Spring. However, he became ill and could not return to Yamato. He died while traveling from Owari to Mie, reaching as far as Kameyama. Known as a hero, his statue stands next to the spring, where white flowers bloom in summer, swaying in the clear water.
A shrine stands there with a stone torii gate at the entrance, inscribed with "Wakamiya Rikkoku Shrine." A highway runs nearby, and the single-bay nagare-zukuri main hall is built on a high slope. The doors are adorned with the hollyhock crest, traditionally used in ceremonies at Kyoto's Kamo Shrine, also known as Kamo Aoi.
The rows of houses typical of post towns, the clear stream, and the legends of Yamato Takeru make Ibu Sugi Spring a place of interest.