Kinpu Shrine

Mt. Yoshino is famous for its thousand cherry trees, but Kinpu Shrine stands at Okusenbon, the innermost part of that blossoming mountain, near Mt. Aonega-mine, at the far end of the pilgrimage route that climbs from the foot of the mountain. The principal deity is Kanayamahiko-no-Mikoto, enshrined as the guardian deity of the land of Mt. Yoshino. The precincts are part of the World Heritage site "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" and also belong to the nationally designated historic site "Omine Okugake-michi".

How the shrine began is not clear, but from the medieval period onward it was known as a training ground for Shugendo mountain asceticism. The Heian-period Eiga Monogatari records a visit by Fujiwara no Michinaga. In the age of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism it was called "Konsho Myojin", with Ashuku, Shakyamuni and Dainichi (Vajradhatu) as its original Buddhist forms. The name is thought to come from the belief that Mt. Kinpu holds gold. It is also an ancient shrine ranked as a Myojin Taisha in the Engishiki register.

What you should not miss here is the Yoshitsune Hiding Tower, a little below the main shrine. According to tradition, Minamoto no Yoshitsune hid in this tower when surrounded by pursuers and escaped by kicking through the roof, so it is also called the "Kenuke no To" (kick-through tower). The present tower is a pyramidal-roofed building rebuilt in the early Taisho era. Guided visits run from 9:00 to 15:00 by reservation, at 300 yen for adults and 150 yen for children, with irregular days off, so it is wise to contact them beforehand if you plan to go.

The shrine has a main hall and a worship hall moved from the old worship hall of Yoshino Jingu. The precincts are surrounded by mountain trees. In terms of history, the gilt-bronze sutra case of Fujiwara no Michinaga, buried in the Kinpusen sutra mound in 1007, is a National Treasure and is regarded as the oldest relic from a sutra mound with a known date; eight items excavated from the mound are Important Cultural Properties. The case is now deposited at the Kyoto National Museum, but it shows how long this place has been a site of special devotion.

To get here, take the Yoshino Ropeway from Yoshino Station on the Kintetsu Yoshino Line up to Yoshinoyama Station, then ride the bus to Okusenbon-guchi and walk about 5 minutes. Walking from Yoshinoyama Station takes about 1 hour 45 minutes, so choose according to your energy and time. There is no parking lot in the precincts.

Nearby you can continue to Yoshino Mikumari Shrine (about 1.5 km), Yoshino-yama (about 1.9 km) and Kinpusen-ji (about 3.6 km). The bus has periods when it does not run, so check the schedule in advance. Okusenbon lies deep in the mountains, so wear shoes and clothes suited to walking.