One of Japan’s 3 Great Sacred Places for Shugendo
The 1200m Mt. Hiko is located on the border between Fukuoka and Oita Prefectures, and as one of Japan’s 3 Great Sacred Places for Shugendo (Japanese mountain asceticism-shamanism), it has been worshiped as a sacred mountain since ancient times and is a treasure trove of flora and fauna blessed with nature. It is the perfect tourist spot for a day’s walk with beautiful natural sites such as giant 1200-year-old cedar trees and towering rocks of fantastic shapes, and places like Hikosan Shrine. The nearest train station is Hikosan Station on the JR Hita Hikosan Line which can be reached from either Fukuoka Station or Ogura Station in about 1 hour and 45 minutes. From Hikosan Station, a bus or taxi will take 10 minutes to reach Kane-no-Torii, the gate for Hikosan Jingu Shrine.
Hikosan Shrine which retains remnants of study on the mountain
The Kane-no-Torii gate was given by the Saga Domain in 1637 and is 6.9m high with a pillar circumference of 3m. The huge bronze gate has been designated as an Important Cultural Property. From here, 900 stone steps rise up to Hikosan Shrine’s Hohei-den Lecture Hall with the walk up there taking about 1 hour. The Zaizobo building on the way to the shrine is only open to tourists during the weekend. The building, which was used by the mountain priests at the time, has retained its original appearance. At the Yamabushi (mountain priest) Cultural Properties Hall, cultural properties and valuable documents related to the priests and Shugendo are on display. The Old Kameishibo Garden is a garden which was built by the Muromachi Era artist-monk Sesshu. There is a slope car that operates from Kane-no-Torii along the path to the shrine and reaches Hohei-den in about 15 minutes so it’s handy for those who may feel a bit fatigued. The Important Cultural Property-designated Hohei-den once flourished as a sacred place of practice for Shugendo on the mountain which was first established in the year 740 and then rebuilt in 1616. The Muromachi Era shrine bell and the administrative office are located within the grounds. Returning to the Kane-no-Torii and then traveling by bus for 10 minutes will bring you to the small hill made from rock, Hanami-ga-Iwa, from where you can view Mt. Hiko and is famous as a spot to view the sunset.