Mt. Yoshino is most famous for its Zao-do hall at Kinpusen-Ji Temple, but there are many shrines and temples there. And they well preserved the original Japanese view of religion intact.
Here in this article, I am going to recommend to visit the most impressing temple? Shrine? Well, this part is not sure for me, so just to call this “god place”, haha.
However, this Notendaijin-ryuo-inn （脳天大神龍王院）is typical Shinto temple and shrine both combined place where we felt such strong healing power and sacred power anyway.
If you look at the history of Japan, the name and language of Japanese Shinto are found in “Nihonshoki” (Chronicles of Japan) and thought to have developed and established in various ways.
Shinto is a term referring to gods who appear in “Yaoyorozu no Kami” (Eight Million Gods), nature worship, Heroism worship and imperial myths.
The original Japanese religion, Shugendo, and its birthplace, Mt. Yoshino, are part of this Mt. Omine, which is a fusion of this Shinto belief in nature, and foreign Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.
Thus, this Notendaijin-ryuo-inn is the one to a great example of both Buddhism and Shintoism were united.
Notendaijin is a Temple or Shine?
If you look at the history of Japan, the name and language of Japanese Shinto are found in “Nihonshoki” (Chronicles of Japan) and thought to have developed and established in various ways.
Shinto is a term referring to gods who appear in “Yaoyorozu no Kami” (Eight Million Gods), nature worship, Heroism worship and imperial myths.
The original Japanese religion, Shugendo, and its birthplace, Mt. Yoshino, are part of this Mt. Omine, which is a fusion of this Shinto belief in nature, and foreign Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.
Thus, this Notendaijin-ryuo-inn is the one to a great example of both Buddhism and Shintoism were united.
This Notendaijin is the guardian god of the brain, inspired by GOJO Kakucho Daisojo, the first chief abbot of Kinpusen-ji Temple. When Kakucho Daisojo was looking for a place for Taki’s (waterfall) ascetic practice, he discovered the valley where this Notendaijin was enshrined. Then, when he was developing the worshipping site, he encountered a snake with his (her) head injured and, feeling so sorry for the snake, recited the sutras carefully and buried him (her). After that, the snake came in his dreams many times and thanked him. At last, the snake said to Daisojo Kakucho, “Worship as the guardian god of the head.” At the same time, Zao Gongen also gives the holy word “Shoho Shinji Myogyotoku Bosatsu” (All Dharma Rituals, Myogyo Bosatsu). Although it was a snake with a split head that actually appeared as a form, the Zao Gongen, the principal statue of Zao Do, appeared in a different form. Later, in 1951, the Notendaijin was enshrined at the current site.
脳天大神 龍王院 http://notensan.org/index.html
The first time I visited Yoshino was in October 2018, when the guide book already mentioned the temple, even though I did visit any of the other temples, I hadn’t been there before.
Therefore, I visited this strange shrine (or temple?) on my third visit to Yoshino. But there’s a reason for this. I was suffering from Graves’ disease, and I’m taking out my thyroid at the end. The reason for this was that the antibody level did not decrease, and also I developed Graves’ eye disease which your eyes are getting popping out.
However, even after the removal of my thyroid, I still had a sense of strangeness in my eyes. For instance, when I looked up at the 45-degree angle, I felt a bit of pain and heaviness, and I had double-vision.
For now, I regularly have examinations by my ophthalmologist, but I still felt I my eyes were heavier when I was slightly tired or stressed, and feeling the pressure of the eyes like pushed from its inside.
Then, coincidently, I read a book about this god. This Notendaijin was a very profitable and powerful god for above a neck. If you pray for your sickness above your neck, the god will bless, and it would heal that what the book said.
I just thought, well, how wonderful and bizarre that what I had found. Before actually, I didn’t need to go there anyway, my eyes were healthy and no problem then now, I had trouble my eyes!
“OK! I’ll just go then!”
Well, this is my story why I visited this temple (shrine?).
Yoshino is a place of mountain worship, so is the staircase really that many?
The Notendaijin is one of the sub-temples of Kinpusen-ji Temple and is well known as “Yoshino’s Brain God.”
The way to this temple, you have to go down many stairs from the left hand of Zao-do Hall, the main hall of Kinpusen-ji Temple.
First, I have noticed there’s a warning…
Pokemon Go game…., seriously you’ve got to stop it.
It might be fun. But it’s gone crazy all around the world.
However, my 18 years old son has stopped for a long time ago, so hopefully, I won’t see it in a few years.
Like the picture above, you can see the magnificent stairs. 450 steps for going down, then there is no way around avoid this step back so that you have to experience this massive steps for a total of 900 steps.
To my best friend, I kept it a secret, then she asked me;
“You knew this, didn’t you? Right?”
Her voice was very delightful!
Then, again and again, we repeatedly said;
“Seriously!” (laughs).
Then again, we just shouted;
“Are you serious?”
It was tough to go down with very steep stairs in wet weather.
However, Mt. Yoshino is basically a mountain in Shugendo. So, it’s a mountain religion, so this is a practice.
And finally, we could see the bottom of the stairs, well, at least it looked like that.
There were many Jizo and Buddhist statues there, and I felt that the air is different from upstairs. It’s a bit strange feeling.
Umm… You’ve come to a different world.
That day was raining, and off-season time in Yoshio so that there were only us there.
In legendary speaking, Ryujin(dragon nature god) and hebi-gami (Snake god) are closely related to water, according to the prevailing view, it is very good luck or blessing that it rains when worshipping.
Some people (who mostly like spiritual experts) say that it is a sign of welcoming from the god. Then, in fact, in the case of my experiences, which closely related to water that I had previously visited, every single time was rainy.
The Kifune-jinja Shrine in Kyoto is not raining for the third time, but it has rained hard on the way back to our hotel, but any other times were raining.
You may say, it’s just only the weather, nothing to do with gods. However, even we know THAT was merely coincident but if you think it’s because god blessing you to come, that would be a lot more special.
So I take the water gods were blessing me or welcoming me!
Powerful God for 100 Times Worship Place
What surprised me was that there was a place for “Ohyakudo mairi” which is walking back and forth for 100 times praying (worshipping) her wish come true by God’s will.
That mostly, I believe you have to show how much you are desperate.
Well, I often hear that ‘Ohyakudo-mairi’ exists but I haven’t seen any of evidence or officially accepted by its temples or shrines.
And it is here. On the right-hand side of the photo below, you can see the sando (God’s walking path) for Ohyakudo-mairi, hundred praying.
And I saw there was a box with 100 counting bars which you can use for that worshipping.
I was amazed by this. In fact, “Ohyakudo-mairi, One hundred worshipping will be working, so here you go, you can do it here” that what they offer there!
Then if you are a sensitive person for any supernatural spiritual being, when you go inside of temple (or shrine), you can feel like;
“Oh, this is where God is. Of course, the 100 times worship would work if you are desperate and you are a good person as deserved to get blessed by god.
That what I thought.
休憩所で卵を食べて、またご利益
Eating eggs at the rest-house, and Getting Blessed
This time, my friend was asked to get a goshuin (temples and shrines’ original stamps) from her client for a trip to Kyoto and Nara. When she went to the office to get this goshuin, the officer gave her two boiled eggs for us to eat.
Then, we just went into the restroom; there were some teapot and cups, so we both made tea. There was also some salt to put on an egg, and it’s actually quite delicious, and well, we just a bit hungry too.
The origin of the boiled egg is that, according to the Notendaijin’s Biography, a serpent is an errand for this god. Then people who visit here offer its favourite food, for wishing and worshipping for their health.
It is said if you eat these eggs, it should have god blessing too.
One of the unique temple I’ve ever seen and love to go back
When I returned to Yukawaya-ryokan, Okami-san (Ryokan’s Misstress) came to greet us at dinner.
“Where have you been today?”
We told her that we visited Notendaijin, then she said’
“Oh, that stairway was a so hard wasn’t it?!” with her big laugh.
Then she continued;
“That Notendaijin is so special, and I know a lot of bizarre stories from our guests. Then they are coming back to thank after they were blessed and which come true. I believe it’s a mighty god and just amazing.”
Then both of us agreed;
“Yes, we agree. That place is very spiritual and full of supernatural atmosphere that what we felt too.” then three of us were just nodding together.
Now, I will tell you what I pray to the Notendaijin God then what happened. Yes, I think I’ve made a lot of improvement.
The pain of my eyes was no longer substantial, then about my double vision was reduced, not severe as before.
I noticed this on the train coming back from Mt. Yoshino, when we were talking about this God.
Then I said to my friend;
“Wait a minute. My God! I feel my eyes are much better!”
WOW!!
Oh well, if you believe or not, my eyes are much better since I wished for God’s blessing.
In Japan, there are many places called “power spots.”
You can feel when you experience in the Japanese nature, and it is also very intense. Regardless of whether you believe or not, there is a deep-rooted belief in the spiritual world and animism in nature that is beyond human understanding in Japan.
I think it’s Yoshino’s charm to realise that too.
If you want to experience the traditional Japanese view of religion, Yoshino is highly recommended. I hope this article is helpful for your visit to Yoshino.
