Yodo (淀)
Yodo is an area located in the southwestern part of Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture. It is an area sandwiched between the Yodo-gawa River and the Katsura-gawa River (Yodo-gawa River system). During the Edo period, it was a castle town (of Yodo-jo Castle) and was an important traffic point as a post station. Although the Kyoto Moriguchi Line of Kyoto Prefecture Route /Osaka Prefecture Route 13 and the Keihan Main Line run in the area today, they only pass through it, and it is rather famous as a Mecca for horse race fans (JRA Kyoto Race Course).
History
1589: Chacha (Yodo-dono, or Lady Yodo) moved to the Yodo-jo Castle (which is said to be different from what was built later.)
1619: Yodo-juku Station was established.
1623: Yodo clan was established by taking over the defunct Fushimi clan.
1623: New Yodo-jo Castle (Shin-Yodo-jo Castle) was built.
January 1868: The army of Bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun), which had been defeated in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, ran away to the Yodo clan for help but was rejected.
October 1, 1889: Yodo-ikegami-cho, Yodo-shimozu-cho, and Yodo-shin-machi were merged to establish Yodo-cho, Kuse-gun by implementing the chosei (grant of town status).
December 1, 1925: Today's JRA Kyoto Race Course opened.
April 1, 1935: Mizu-mura, Tsuzuki-gun was merged into Yodo-cho.
February 11, 1936: Yodo-mura, Otokuni-gun was merged into Yodo-cho.
April 1, 1957: Yodo-cho, Kuse-gun was merged into Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture.
JRA Kyoto Race Course
Some horse race fans nickname it Yodo race track or merely Yodo.
It attracts many horse racing fans from all over the country particularly on days when G1 horse races are held--Tenno Sho, Shuka Sho, Kikuka Sho, Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative, and Mile Championship.
Closest Station
Yodo Station of the Keihan Electric Railway
Yodo-juku Station
Yodo-juku Station is one of the posting stations of Old Kyo Kaido Road and may be counted in the fifty-three stations of the Tokaido Road.
There are two routes to Kyoto; one is via Fushimi-juku Station (Kyo Kaido Road) and the other is the Toba-kaido Road along the Kamo-gawa River (Yodo-gawa River system).
Next Station
Tokaido (Kyo Kaido Road)
Fushimi-juku Station - Yodo-juku Station - Hirakata-juku Station