Yoshinoyama : the Roots of Shugendo Spirituality

Meet your private guide at Yoshino Station before ascending to Yoshinoyama via the iconic Yoshino Ropeway, one of Japan’s most historic and distinctive aerial lift systems. Renowned for its preserved structure and mechanical design, it is recognized as Japan’s oldest ropeway still in operation.

Founded in the 7th century by En no Gyoja, the originator of Shugendo, this temple is renowned for enshrining the powerful Zao Gongen, a unique deity who is believed to possess both great wisdom and compassion, protecting humanity from evil. It is a key location of pilgrimage for Shugendo ascetics traversing the challenging Omine Okugake Trail in the Kii Mountains.

Your private knowledgeable guide will introduce you to the key Shugendo sites of Yoshino and explain their enduring importance to mountain asceticism today. Along the way, you will also visit local shops that provide essential items for Shugendo practitioners, before taking a break to enjoy a traditional Yoshinoyama lunch prepared with fresh local ingredients.

estaurant is closed, we will substitute it with a local restaurant.

Discover the hidden connection between this revered Shinto shrine and the Shugendo tradition. Originally founded in the 8th century, the site was formerly known as Yoshimizu-in, a Buddhist temple closely affiliated with Kinpusen-ji and the Shugendō tradition. As a pilgrimage base, Yoshimizu-in long served as a ritual and lodging place for ascetics and elite pilgrims traveling through Yoshino as part of the sacred pilgrimage routes of the Kii Peninsula.

Founded in 671, Sakuramotobo Temple is one of the oldest and most important centers of Ōmine Shugendo. Throughout the year, its priests oversee the training of hundreds of yamabushi, leading mountain pilgrimages, meditation retreats, and other ascetic practices. Participants will have the opportunity to meet a Buddhist priest and Shugendo practitioner from Sakuramotobo—an exceptional chance to gain firsthand insight into the discipline, humility, and wisdom of Shugendo’s mountain ascetics.

Engage in a mindful iconographic practice that bridges Esoteric Buddhism and the spiritual world of Shugendō deities. This quiet, contemplative form of meditation cultivates calm focus and mindfulness, and has long been practiced by monks and lay practitioners alike to deepen awareness and cultivate spiritual merit.