Dewa Sanzan

A sacred mountain standing at 1,125 meters in Yoshino, Nara Prefecture. Opened in the 7th century by Enno Gyoja, it is a crucial site for Shugendo ascetic practice. In spring, approximately 30,000 cherry trees blanket the entire mountain, and it has long been venerated by nobility and samurai. It remains a pilgrimage destination where ascetics visit, harmonizing faith and nature.

A sacred mountain at 912 meters located in Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture. A Tendai Buddhist temple is established here, with landscapes depicting hell and paradise. Nationally known for the custom of itako (blind mediums) facilitating communication with the deceased, it has long embodied strong beliefs about the afterlife.

One of the Dewa Sanzan mountains, Mount Yudono maintains unique esoteric worship practices. Visitors must remove their shoes and wear purchased white robes in a strict ritual. An ancient prohibition against disclosing one's pilgrimage experience to others—the 'secret pilgrimage'—is still observed today. This mystique attracts pilgrims and represents a rare living example of Japanese religious secrecy.

Yoshino Mountain in Nara Prefecture, with approximately 30,000 cherry blossoms, has been a sacred pilgrimage site for ascetics and nobility since antiquity. Known as a cherry blossom viewing destination since the Heian period, it represents a unique fusion of spiritual training and nature worship. Millions visit annually during spring cherry blossom season.

Osorezan in Aomori Prefecture is Japan's oldest hellish belief site. Characterized by rituals where blind mediums called itako commune with the deceased. With nearly 1,400 years of history, summer pilgrimages attract nationwide visitors seeking dialogue with deceased loved ones. Represents a unique fusion of death beliefs and faith traditions.

Pilgrimage route visiting three mountains in Yamagata: Haguro, Gassan, and Yudono. Revered as sacred sites since antiquity, known as 'training for rebirth'. Haguro's approach features 2,446 stone steps. Attracts over 400,000 pilgrims annually. Represents Japan's training culture reflecting beliefs about the afterlife. Registered as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Three mountains in Yamagata Prefecture—Gassan, Haguro, and Yudono—forming a sacred Shugendo training center with 1,400 years of history. Practitioners undergo rituals symbolizing death and rebirth, experiencing spiritual transformation. Features like Haguro's five-story pagoda and Yudono's secret rituals continue to attract pilgrims seeking spiritual renewal through rigorous ascetic practice.

A sacred site of mountain worship comprising Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan, and Mount Yudono. With over 1,400 years of history as a training ground for Shugendo asceticism, the mountain monks in white robes and their austere practices preserve Japan's mountain ascetic traditions.

One of Japan's three great sacred sites. Sulfurous fumes and desolate rocks create an 'entrance to the afterlife.' Known for itako mediums, it draws those seeking to communicate with the dead.

The head shrine of the Sengen Shrine network, located in Fujisan, Yamanashi Prefecture. Dedicated to Konohanasakuya-hime, the goddess of volcanoes, it has long served as the spiritual center for Mount Fuji worship. Pilgrims pray here for safe climbing, embodying Japan's ancient mountain worship tradition as an integral component of Fuji faith.

Japan's indigenous mythology recorded in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. Depicting the creation of Japan by Izanagi and Izanami and the activities of deities like Amaterasu (sun goddess), it forms Shinto's foundational beliefs. Numerous sacred sites nationwide connect to mythological narratives. Tourist destinations like Takachiho, Izumo, and Ise gain prominence through mythological associations.