Gate to the Summit

This stone gate at the base of Mt. Nantai marks the boundary between Chugushi Shrine's sacred grounds and the even more sacred path to the inner shrine at the summit. For practitioners of Shugendo, the mountain ascetic religion rooted here for centuries, passing through means entering a different spiritual state altogether. The 6-kilometer trail to the summit is open May 15 to October 15, and the round trip takes six to seven hours. Starting out after noon is not permitted. An annual festival begins July 31, when a group sets out around midnight to reach the summit at sunrise.