Mt. Kasagi (Kasagiyama)
Map
Mt. Kasagi (288 meters high) is in Kasagi Town, Soraku District, Kyoto Prefecture, with Kasagidera Temple on its summit. It is a sacred place rich in nature, surrounded by groups of huge granite rocks and the beauty of the Kizu River valley, and its principal image is the Miroku cliff Buddha. It has flourished as a sacred site of Miroku faith since the Heian period and is also known as a Shugendo training ground. It is also recorded in history as the place where Emperor Go-Daigo made his headquarters during the Genko Incident.
Sacred Site Info
- Type
- Shugendo training ground and sacred site of cliff-carved Buddhas
- Legend
- The 15-meter-high cliff-carved Buddha of Maitreya (Miroku Bosatsu) in granite is said to have been carved by the hands of heavenly beings, and the mountain is said to have flourished as a holy site of Maitreya worship from the Heian period.
- Element
- Rock
History & Origins
Temple tradition holds that Emperor Tenmu built it in 682, and it is also told that Prince Otomo (later Emperor Kobun), out hunting, was about to fall from a cliff and was saved by praying to Miroku Bodhisattva, and placed his hat (kasa) as a marker, giving rise to the place name 'Kasagi.' In the Heian period it was a major center of Miroku faith with as many as 49 sub-temples, but many of its buildings were lost to fire in the Genko Incident of 1331.
Highlights
The principal image, the Miroku cliff Buddha, is a huge cliff Buddha carved into a granite cliff 15 meters high. Only the outline of the halo remains from the fire of 1331, but its scale deeply impresses visitors. Huge rocks associated with Shugendo training sites, such as Kasagi-ishi and Kaibuki-iwa, are scattered through the grounds.
Visitor Guide
It takes about 40 minutes on foot from Kasagi Station on the JR Kansai Main Line to reach the temple's mountain gate. The grounds are maintained as Kasagiyama Nature Park and an admission fee is required. The cherry blossoms and autumn leaves along the Kizu River are also famous, and many worshippers visit in season.
Best Season
Cherry blossoms in spring (late March to early April) and autumn leaves in autumn (November) are especially beautiful. The Miroku cliff Buddha can be visited all year.
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