To Ominesan-ji Temple: Climbing Mt. Sanjogatake from Dorogawa Onsen (Hiking / Closed to Women)

For religious reasons, Mt. Sanjogatake remains closed to women, and only men are permitted to enter the mountain. Women cannot pass beyond the Nyonin Kekkai (women's barrier) gates, such as the one at Omine-ohashi Bridge, and therefore cannot visit Ominesan-ji Temple featured in this guide. Women can, however, climb neighboring Mt. Inamuragatake starting from the same Dorogawa Onsen area. This guide covers a one-day hiking course starting from Dorogawa Onsen—which flourished as a mountaineering base for Shugendo—and ascending to Ominesan-ji Temple, situated at the 1,719-meter summit of Mt. Sanjogatake.

History and Regional Appeal

Mt. Sanjogatake, opened by En no Gyoja, the founder of Shugendo, is regarded as the birthplace of Shugendo in Japan. According to information from Tenkawa Village, the origins of Ominesan-ji Temple on the mountain peak trace back to 672, when En no Gyoja experienced a spiritual manifestation of Kongo Zao Daigongen and built the Zao-do Hall. From the early Heian period, members of the imperial family and nobility also made pilgrimages here.

Dorogawa, located at the foot of the mountain, is a hot spring town that developed alongside the rise of Shugendo as a base for climbing related to Mt. Omine beliefs. Legend says it is also home to descendants of "Goki," one of the oni (demons) who served En no Gyoja. Even today, Shugendo practitioners purify themselves at Ominesan Ryusen-ji Temple in Dorogawa and pray for safety on the path before heading toward Mt. Sanjogatake.

Due to religious tradition, the Mt. Sanjogatake area continues to restrict entry to women. Nyonin Kekkai gates stand at the main trailheads surrounding Mt. Sanjogatake: Omine-ohashi Bridge, Gobanseki, Amidagamori, and Renge-tsuji. Neighboring Mt. Inamuragatake, open to women, is also called "Nyonin Omine" in contrast to the restricted Mt. Sanjogatake. Ryusen-ji Temple uses Mt. Inamuragatake as a training hall for female practitioners.

Major Highlights

• ​Dorogawa Onsen​​: A hot spring town located in a mountainous area around 820 meters above sea level, lined with traditional inns, guesthouses, and shops selling daranisuke herbal medicine. The engawa verandas of the inns are left wide open so that large groups of yamabushi (mountain ascetics) can come up all at once. The mildly alkaline simple thermal springs have long relieved the fatigue of those climbing Mt. Omine.
• ​Nyonin Kekkai Gate at Omine-ohashi Bridge​​: The trailhead for Mt. Sanjogatake, also called Shojo-ohashi Bridge. A stone monument stands here inscribed with "Kore yori nyonin kekkai" (Women's Barrier from This Point).
• ​Mountain Trail Teahouses and Ascetic Practice Sites​​: You will climb while resting at three teahouses: Ipponmatsu Chaya, Dorotsuji Chaya, and Daranisuke Chaya. Along the way is "Otasuke-mizu," a cold natural spring. Near the summit are Aburakoboshi, a steep cliff of around 50 meters, and Kanekakeiwa Rock, a massive boulder where En no Gyoja is said to have hung a temple bell. Nishi-no-Nozoki is an ascetic practice site considered one of Japan's three great severe practices.
• ​Ominesan-ji Temple​​: The fundamental training ground of Shugendo, built at the summit of Mt. Sanjogatake. The present main hall is a grand building reconstructed during the Genroku era and is designated as a National Important Cultural Property. The doors of the main hall are opened annually from the Toakeshiki ceremony on May 3 until the Tojimeshiki ceremony on September 23.

Recommended Route and Duration

The recommended total time is about 8 hours. Proper hiking gear is required, and the route should be undertaken between May 3 and September 23 when the main hall doors are open.

When traveling by train and bus, take the Kintetsu Limited Express from Osaka-Abenobashi Station to Shimoichiguchi Station (about 1 hour), or from Kyoto (about 1 hour and 20 minutes). From Shimoichiguchi Station, take the Nara Kotsu bus bound for Dorogawa Onsen to the final stop, Dorogawa Onsen (about 70 minutes). By car, proceed from the Kawai intersection on Route 309 along Prefectural Road 21 toward Dorogawa. Note that some car navigation systems may direct you over the narrow Kominami Pass, so exercise caution. Staying overnight at Dorogawa Onsen the day before allows for an early morning start.

From the Dorogawa Onsen bus stop to the Omine-ohashi Bridge trailhead is about 4 kilometers, roughly a 1-hour walk. By car, you can reach the paid Omine-ohashi Parking Lot at the end of Prefectural Road 21. From Omine-ohashi Bridge, it takes about 3 hours to hike up to Ominesan-ji Temple at the summit, taking breaks at the teahouses along the way. Kanekakeiwa Rock is an ascetic spot where you climb rock faces using chains; if you get the position or order of your footholds wrong, you will not be able to climb. Experiencing Kanekakeiwa Rock or Nishi-no-Nozoki is done during the door-opening period with a guide from the Ryusen-ji temple lodgings on the mountain. When passing others on the mountain, exchanging the greeting "Yo o-mairi" ("well done on your pilgrimage") is a custom unique to this mountain.

Lodgings managed by Ryusen-ji are available at the summit, and members of the public can stay with advance reservations (men only). For a day trip, descend via the same route after praying and enjoy a soak at the visitor center in Dorogawa Onsen before heading home. Tenkawa Village advises hikers to check the trail using GPS track logs logged by village staff on the "YAMAP" app and to download maps in advance.

When female hikers climb Mt. Inamuragatake, the trailhead is Hahakodo, located about 2 kilometers or a 30-minute walk from the Dorogawa Onsen bus stop. A historic stone monument of a former women's barrier gate remains at Hahakodo. Parking is available in the Dorogawa district or at the paid Hahakodo parking lot. From Hahakodo to the summit takes about 3 to 4 hours over roughly 4 kilometers. You cross Horiki Pass midway and proceed toward Mt. Inamuragatake from Sanjotsuji, the junction between Mt. Sanjogatake and Mt. Inamuragatake. The round-trip hike of Mt. Inamuragatake takes about 7 hours. Careful footing is required around some collapsed sections just before Sanjotsuji, along the Dainichi ridge gap, and right below the summit.

Summary of the Experience

Starting from the hot spring town that has welcomed yamabushi for centuries, catch your breath at mountain teahouses and exchange greetings of "Yo o-mairi" as you ascend toward the fundamental training hall of Shugendo. At the 1,719-meter summit, spend a day encountering a sacred mountain preserving 1,300 years of faith. Female hikers can take in grand panoramic views of the Omine Okugake-michi trail from the top of Mt. Inamuragatake, also known as "Nyonin Omine." After descending, soothe your tired muscles in the waters of Dorogawa Onsen.