Sanbutsu-ji (Nageire-do)

Sanbutsu-ji is a Tendai Buddhist temple on Mt. Mitoku in Misasa, Tottori, known as a training ground for Shugendo mountain asceticism. According to temple tradition, it began in 706 when En no Ozunu (En no Gyoja) scattered three lotus petals, one of which fell on this mountain, and he built a hall here and made it a place of training. The temple's name is said to come from the three Buddhas, Amida, Shaka and Dainichi, enshrined by Jikaku Daishi in 849, though the temple's own account notes that his visit to the mountain is not historically confirmed.

Crossing the Shikuiri Bridge behind the main hall, you find the Monju-do, Jizo-do, Nokyo-do and other halls scattered across the steep northern slope, with the inner sanctuary, Nageire-do, beyond them. Nageire-do stands in a natural hollow in a cliff at about 500 meters above sea level, with rock jutting out overhead. Its name comes from the legend that En no Gyoja shrank the hall with his spiritual powers and threw it into the rock cave. It enshrines Zao Gongen, the principal deity of Shugendo.

Nageire-do is built in the kakezukuri style, its floor held up by extremely long pillars, and the national cultural property database dates it to the late Heian period. Tree-ring dating by the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties in 2001 showed that it was built between 1086 and 1184. Heian-period features show in its slender timbers, the broadly chamfered pillars and rafters, and the nagare-zukuri core with lean-to roofs on both sides, while the cypress-bark roof gains variety from gables added even at the left and right corners. The larger building on the right is the Zao-den and the smaller one on the left the Aizen-do; it was designated a National Treasure in 1952.

Nageire-do is visited as a pilgrimage climb: wearing a wagesa stole lent at the reception, you climb the ascetics' trail as far as the spot just before the hall. Along the way you must scramble over tree roots and rocks and hold on to chains. To prevent accidents, the temple grants permission to climb under police guidance, and because falls are frequent, it checks clothing and footwear at the entrance. Climbers must go in groups of two or more and wear clothes that are easy to move in and leave both hands free. The temple does not allow small children to climb, and the Misasa Onsen Tourism Association asks that children in the lower grades of elementary school refrain as well.

Skirts, high heels, leather shoes, sandals, slippery shoes, shoes with spikes or metal studs on the soles, and walking sticks or poles are not accepted at the reception, and sneakers may also be refused. People who have been drinking or feel unwell are asked not to climb. The mountain is a national Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty: collecting plants or animals, smoking and open flames such as incense are banned, and all litter must be taken home. The climb is closed on days the temple judges unsafe because of rain or snow, and usually from about December to March because of snow, so check the official website for that day's status before setting out.