Fushimi-ku, Kyoto

Infobox City Japan
Name= Fushimi
JapaneseName= 伏見区
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Region= Kinki
Prefecture= Kyoto
District=
Area_km2= 61.62
PopDate= July 1, 2008
Population= 283,561
Density_km2= 4600
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Mayor= Seiichi Kitajima
CityHallPostalCode= 612-8511
CityHallAddress= 681 Higashigumi-chō, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
CityHallPhone= [phone]
CityHallLink= [http://www.city.kyoto.jp/fushimi/ FUSHIMI Ward Web Page]

nihongo|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 Teradaya, a boat-lodging at which Sakamoto Ryoma was attacked and injured. 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.

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 largest area in Japan in terms of sake production. [ [http://www.kippo.or.jp/culture_e/syoku/sakejijo/sakejijo1.html Kansai Window] - "Japan's number one sake production", retrieved January 24, 2007]

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