Fushimi-ku, Kyoto

Fushimi (伏見区, Fushimi-ku) is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Famous places in Fushimi include the Fushimi Inari Shrine, with thousands of torii lining the paths up and down a mountain; Fushimi Castle, originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, with its rebuilt towers and gold-lined tea-room; and the Teradaya, an inn at which Sakamoto Ryōma was attacked and injured about a year before his assassination. Also of note is the Gokōgu shrine, which houses a stone used in the construction of Fushimi Castle. The water in the shrine is particularly famous and it is recorded as one of Japan's 100 best clear water spots.

Fushimi 伏見区
Ward of Kyoto
Fushimi Momoyama Castle
Location of Fushimi in Kyoto
Fushimi Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°56′10″N 135°45′41″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kinki (Kansai)
Prefecture	Kyoto
First official recorded	473 AD
Fushimi City Settled	May 1, 1929
Merger with Kyoto City	April 1, 1931
Area
• Total	61.66 km2 (23.81 sq mi)
Population  (October 1, 2020)
• Total	277,858
• Density	4,500/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	681 Higashigumi-chō, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 612-8511
Website	www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/fushimi/

Although written with different characters now, the name Fushimi (which used to be its own "town") originally comes from fusu + mizu, meaning "hidden water" or "underground water". In other words, the location was known for good spring water. The water of Fushimi has particularly soft characteristics, making it an essential component to the particular type of sake brewed in Fushimi. This also explains why the area developed as a sake-brewing center in Kyoto. Today, Fushimi is the second greatest area of Japan in terms of sake production,[1] and is where the sake company Gekkeikan was founded.[2]