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Mitokusan Sanbutsuji Temple

HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Mitokusan Sanbutsuji Temple

This hidden temple devoted to Buddhism on a Tottori mountainside is one of Japan’s dangerous national treasures

Tottori Prefecture

Through all the seasons, the scenery around 900-meter-tall Mt. Mitoku in the central part of Tottori Prefecture makes it a beautiful spot to visit. The mountain is the location of Mitokusan Sanbutsuji Temple. The most extraordinary part of this temple is Nageiredo, a wooden prayer hall built into the mouth of a cave on a sheer precipice of the mountain. It is a one-of-a-kind national architectural treasure renowned for the beauty of its jaunty roof and hall support beams.

The precise date of Nageiredo’s construction is unknown, but legend has it that the structure was built from the ground up through the spiritual power of the monk En no Gyoja, the founder of religious mountain training known as shugendo. Mt. Mitoku was a place for monks to practice shugendo. The rocky and slippery mountain path to reach Nageiredo is narrow in parts and has chains to help climbers over the trickiest sections. This challenging approach is why the temple is called one of Japan’s more dangerous national treasures.

Plan your itinerary to take in other interesting sights near Mt. Mitoku. Misasa Onsen was discovered 1,164 years ago and is famous for the exceptional quality of its hot spring water, which has one of the highest radon contents in the world. The old castle town of Kurayoshi is worth visiting, particularly its historic merchant quarters, with their classic white-walled warehouses.

How to get there

From Shin-Osaka Station, take the JR limited express train to Kurayoshi Station (about 3 hours). The temple is about 22 minutes from Kurayoshi Station by car. It can also be reached by car from Tottori Airport (about 44 minutes).

1010 Mitoku, Misasa-cho, Tohaku-gun, Tottori-ken