The starting point on the Midosuji subway line is Tennoji Stn. Our destination is Miwa Stn. on the JR line.
Along with Namba Stn., the hub of stations around Tennoji is one of the best vantage points from which to visit Nara Prefecture. Though there are a few ways of getting to Miwa Stn., the route I'm going to suggest will have you transiting at (JR) Nara Stn. This will become an important stop for future entries, but even if there were zero yokai sites in the area, you would be out of your mind not to spend a day in the Nara city sightseeing area.
From subway Tennoji Stn., you need to change to the JR line. JR Tennoji Stn. can be accessed via the JR Loop Line, so if your hotel is near Osaka Stn., Kyobashi (Osaka Castle area), or anywhere else along the loop, forgo the subway all together and take the Loop Line to Tennoji. At Tennoji, you need to change to the Yamatoji Line section of the Kansai Main Line. Any rapid service (there are several), will stop at Nara, all taking about the same time.
At Nara, you don't need to exit the station, but need to change to the Sakurai Line, sometimes referred to as the Manyo-Mahoroba Line. It branches out from Nara Stn., with trains labeled local and rapid running along the line. Both services stop at all stations between Nara and Miwa, so once you find the line you should be able to jump on just about anything that's leaving.
Getting Your Bearings at Miwa Station
There is only one exit at Miwa Stn. First, follow the map below to the main road.
Map courtesy of Google Maps
Map courtesy of Google Maps
As a weird little bonus for you, if you do go left, the Miwa Shinto Central Office is along the way and has a mihashira torii or mitsu-bashira torii (三柱鳥居, or triangular three-pillar torii) on the corner. I thought it was kind of a gimmick when I saw it, but apparently it's a thing (with a possible connection to Japanese Christianity). I've marked it with a small red circle in the map above.
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Once you've walked around and enjoyed the grounds of Omiwa Shrine, been to the neighboring shrines and are ready to leave, you're going to do what I did and leave without ever finding Otataneko Shrine, the structure dedicated to the half-human/half-kami whose veneration of Omononushi brought peace to the land. You can look at all the little auxiliary shrines around the main worship hall and never find it. That's because the shrine's formal name is Wakamiyasha (若宮社). (Spoiler: I went back later and found it.) The map below has the route you'll take from Miwa Stn. to the main worship hall of Omiwa Shrine. The location of Wakamiyasha is outlined in red.
Map courtesy of Google Maps
Photo Credit: Gragma's Yokai Tourbus
Getting to the Hashihaka
The closest station to Hashihaka is Makimuku Stn. on the JR line. It's one station north of Miwa Stn., so getting there from Osaka is virtually the same except that Makimuku is seven stops from Nara Stn. (You'll pass it on the way to Miwa.)
As historically significant as the Hashihaka may be, you can see all there is to see in about 10-15 minutes. Be warned, from the outside most kofun look like forested hills. You get some sense of their grandeur by walking their perimeters, but the amazing perspective you get from a satelite view is lost when you're on the ground. Again, it's prohibited to enter a kofun, so once you've walked around it, you're done. Personally I love kofun and will travel to look at one, but if I was showing somebody around I wouldn't make a special trip out to view a kofun unless the person had made a special request. I do think that fans of yokai may potentially become kofun lovers too, but kofun themselves don't really have anything to do with yokai. This one kind of does, but I would still only recommend it to history buffs.
To get to Makimuku Stn., follow the directions above for Miwa Stn., but go seven stops from Nara instead of eight. As you'll see below though, I recommend you walk directly to Hashihaka from Omiwa Shrine.
Getting Your Bearings at Makimuku Station
Like Miwa Stn., there is only one exit. Here is the route from Makimuku Stn. to the mound (in two sections).
Map courtesy of Google Maps
Map courtesy of Google Maps
Here is a suggested route from Omiwa Shrine, specifically from Wakamiyasha (Otataneko Shrine) to the Hashihaka (going south to north, in three sections).
Map courtesy of Google Maps
Map courtesy of Google Maps
Map courtesy of Google Maps
At the Hashihaka, there is a small dirt path between the mound and a field that will take you to the torii in front of the kofun. The dirt path continues a little ways around to the other side.
Image courtesy of Google Maps
Information on Omiwa Shrine
The best time to visit Omiwa Shrine is between 9:00 and 17:00, though like many other shrines, some of the grounds may be accessible before or after those times. Except the "no smoking" signs, there is very little information in English. Entrance is free, baby!
Information on the Hashihaka
It's not a site with an opening or closing time, much like a public park. Providing there is ample light, you could visit it much later in the day.
In case you missed it, here is the link to Part 1:
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/06/xix-omiwa-shrine-and-hashihaka-part-1.html
Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/
The Master List (Nara)
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
(Shinto) Snakes (蛇、巳); and the Shinto rain god Omononushi (大物主)
Site: Omiwa Shrine (大神神社)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Miwa Stn. (三輪駅)
Google Map Search: "Omiwa Shrine Sakurai" <-- The English on the map for some reason just comes up as "Shinto Shrine." To make sure you have the right location, look for Miwa Stn. just to the west of the shrine.
(Shinto/historical) Snakes (蛇、巳); and the Shinto rain god Omononushi (大物主)
Site: Hashihaka Tumulus (箸墓古墳)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Makimuku Stn. (巻向駅)
Google Map Search: "Hashihaka" <-- Be mindful that the pin appears at a place on the mound that is inaccessible. You can only walk the perimeter of a kofun. You cannot enter one (it's like walking on a grave).
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