Omine-san (Omine Mountain)

Overview

The enshrined deity (kami) is Zao Gongen. Centered around Yamagatake at an altitude of 1,719 meters, this sacred mountain is the fundamental training ground for Shugendo, said to have been opened by En no Gyoja (the founder of Shugendo) during the Asuka period. The 'prohibition of women' (nyonin kinsei), which has a history of over 1,300 years, is still maintained today (demarcated by the Nyonin Kekkaimon gate). Omine-sanji Temple at the summit is open only from April to September. The 'Omine Okugake-michi' is a path for 'Mine-iri' (entering the peaks) where Shugendo practitioners undergo ascetic training, traversing approximately 50 kilometers from Yoshino to Kumano. It was registered as a World Heritage site in 2004 as part of the 'Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range'.

Highlights

• ・Fundamental training ground of Shugendo (opened by En no Gyoja)
• ・Current prohibition of women (Nyonin Kekkaimon gate)
• ・Omine-sanji Temple at the summit (open from April to September)
• ・Omine Okugake-michi (a 50km ascetic path from Yoshino to Kumano)