Ishizuchi-san (Mount Ishizuchi)

Overview

At 1,982 meters, it is the highest peak in Western Japan. Since the Nara period, it has been a center of mountain worship and a holy site for Shugendo (ascetic mountain training), where both En no Gyoja and Kukai performed their practices. Ishizuchi Jinja (Ishizuchi Shrine) consists of three shrines: Kuchinomiya (in Saijo City), Jojusha (on the mountainside), and Chojosha (at the summit). The sacred grounds (shin-iki) of the summit shrine house a sacred mirror (shintai). The approach path features a series of chain sections known as 'Tameshi no Kusari' (Trial Chain), 'Ichi no Kusari' (First Chain), 'Ni no Kusari' (Second Chain), and 'San no Kusari' (Third Chain), creating a unique form of worship where pilgrims climb vertical rock faces using chains. The 'Oyama-biraki' (opening of the mountain) held from July 1st to 10th is the largest religious event of Ishizuchi worship.

Highlights

• ・Highest peak in Western Japan at 1,982 meters
• ・Chain-climbing worship (Trial, First, Second, and Third Chains)
• ・The three shrines of Ishizuchi Jinja (Kuchinomiya, Jojusha, and Chojosha)
• ・Oyama-biraki (opening of the mountain) from July 1st to 10th