Yudonosan Shrine

Mount Yudono (湯殿山, Yudono-san) is one of the Three Mountains of Dewa in the ancient province of Dewa (modern-day Yamagata Prefecture). The Yudonosan Shrine, the most holy of the Dewa Sanzan shrines, is located on the mountain.

Mount Yudono (湯殿山, Yudono-san)
Mount Yudono shrine Entrance
Religion
AffiliationShinto
Location
Yudonosan Shrine is located in Japan
Yudonosan Shrine
Shown within Japan
Geographic coordinates38°31′55″N 139°59′06″E
Glossary of Shinto

Pilgrims have to enter the shrine itself barefoot, and photography is not allowed. Due to heavy winter snowfall, the mountain and shrine are inaccessible for long periods of the year.

Yudonosan Shrine

Yudonosan Shrine (湯殿山神社) is an important Beppyo shrine and one of the Three Mountains of Dewa. The shrine is unique in that it has no main building, but instead uses the mountain itself as a Kannabi, or a rock as an Iwakura.[1][2] It is located in a valley between Mount Yudono and Shinakurasan Mountain.[3]

Yudonosan is the final destination in the Shugendo pilgrimage between all the mountains[4] and is also associated with meeting potential spouses.[1][2] The mountain itself, Mount Yudono, is highly regarded as a training ground for ascetic discipline, and many yamabushi and ascetics believe that their pilgrimage is not complete until they reach the summit of Mount Yudono. The mountain is known for its goshintai, a sacred object believed to be connected to a god.[5][6][7], and they use an Iwakura rock as a shintai.[1][2] The shrine on Mount Yudono is regarded as holy ground and is kept secret, with photography and video recordings being strictly prohibited even today.[5][6][7] It is impossible to enter the shrine in winter due to heavy snow.[5][6][7]

  • The torii gate at the entrance to the Mount Yudono shrine.
    The torii gate at the entrance to the Mount Yudono shrine.
  • The torii gate front
    The torii gate front
  • The torii gate
    The torii gate

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yudonosan-jinja.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Dewa Sanzan.
  1. 山形県観光物産協会, 公益社団法人. "Yudonosan Shrine｜What to See & Do｜STAY YAMAGATA". STAY YAMAGATA. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  2. ORGANIZATION, TOHOKU TOURISM PROMOTION. "Yudonosan Shrine｜Search Destinations in Tohoku | TRAVEL TO TOHOKU - The official tourism website of Tohoku, Japan". The official tourism website of Tohoku, Japan "TRAVEL TO TOHOKU". Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  3. "Yudonosan｜出羽三山神社 公式ホームページ". 出羽三山神社公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  4. 山形県観光物産協会, 公益社団法人. "Yudonosan Shrine｜What to See & Do｜STAY YAMAGATA". STAY YAMAGATA. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  5. Earhart, H. Byron. (1965). Four ritual periods of Haguro shugendo in northeastern Japan. History of Religions, 5(1), 93-113.
  6. Earhart, H. Byron. (1968). The celebration of "Haru-Yama" (Spring Mountain): An example of folk religious practices in contemporary Japan. Asian Folklore Studies, 27(1), 1-24
  7. Hori, Ichiro. (1966) Mountains and their importance for the idea of the other world in Japanese folk religion. History of Religions, 6(1), 1-23
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