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Mitokusan Sanbutsu-ji Nageire-do
temple
Mitokusan Sanbutsu-ji Nageire-do
三徳山三佛寺投入堂
4.6Est. 90Misasa, Chugoku
Local Pick
Overview
Japan's most dangerous National Treasure, a temple embedded in a sheer cliff reached by chain climbing.
Japan's most dangerous national treasure, a wooden temple hall embedded in a sheer cliff face 520 meters up Mount Mitoku. Legend says the monk En no Gyoja threw the building into the cliff from below. Reaching it requires a challenging climb using tree roots and chains as handholds, and solo visitors are not permitted. The gravity-defying structure has clung to the rock for over 1,000 years.
Local tips
The hall is built directly into a cliff overhang at 520 meters, lodged there by the monk Enno Gyoja according to tradition, and designated a National Treasure. Access requires renting white pilgrim robes at the base, then climbing 800 meters on a trail using chains, ladders, and tree roots. The National Agency for Cultural Affairs advises against visiting in wet or icy conditions. This is the most physically demanding National Treasure in Japan to visit, and one of the most extraordinary.
Practical info
- Japanese name
- 三徳山三佛寺投入堂
- Nearest station
- Kurayoshi Station (30 min bus)
- Reservations
- not required
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