Sendachi-Guided Mt. Omine Shugendo Training Tour

Pick up at Yamato Yagi station in Kashihara City, Nara Pref. with a chartered car to Tenkawa Village. Or if you wish, the pick-up point can be changed by your requests with an additional fare.

Upon arrival in Tenkawa, check into your ryokan, which after we take you to Tenkawa Daibenzaitensha Shrine. It is considered to be the foremost of Japan’s three great shrines honoring Benzaiten, one of the seven gods of good fortunes.
Since the ancient times, this shrine has been the key spot for Shugendo and the high class monks and Shugendo practitioners have come together here for praying. Pray for your safety of entering to Mt. Omine tomorrow.

Go back to ryokan and spend the rest of the day at your leisure. It’s a good idea to explore the lanes lined with glowing lanterns of the ryokans after dark.

Enjoy local dinner at ryokan. Enjoy an onsen and have a good rest to prepare for the next day!

Make an early morning start. Have a hearty breakfast at ryokan and dress in white for entering the sacred mountain.

First, visit Ryusenji Temple. This temple was established by En-no Gyoja, the founder of Shugendo in the middle of the 7th century. Before entering the sacred mountain Omine, you place yourself in the clear water during reciting sutras to purify yourself and pray for the safety.

Mt. Omine has been a sacred mountain for Shugendo practitioners. On the route to Ominesan-ji Temple on the Mt. Omine peak during a 7 hour trek in the mountain, you follow the sendachi and experience some Shugendo trainings.

On the other hand, women participants enter more accessible Inamuragatake instead of Mt. Omine. Still it takes 7 hours. From the top of the mountain, you obtain the 360-degree majestic view of Omine mountain ranges.

After walking down from Mt. Omine, visit Ryusenji Temple again for the fire ritual in the evening. When all the trainings are done, you would be filled with a sense of fulfillment.

Go back to ryokan. Relax yourself in a hot onsen and get your body recovered. Enjoy the local dinner at ryokan.

After breakfast at ryokan, enjoy the day at leisure and later transfer to Yamato Yagi station. Or if you wish, the drop-off point can be changed by your requests with an additional fare.