Mt. Ishizuchi is one of Japan’s seven sacred mountains. It’s an ancient site for nature worship where the practice of blowing conch shells is at the heart of Shugendō, a religion combining Shintō with Buddhism with physical austerities. Shugendō has been practised for more than 1,300 years at Gokuraku-ji Temple.
In this experience, you climb the 330 steps to the temple as a form of Shugen training. At the temple, a priest gives a Dharma lecture and prayer, and shows you Buddhist statues that are normally kept hidden. This allows you an authentic experience of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism.