From Top to Bottom of Mt. Yoshino: Kinpu-jinja Shrine in Oku-Senbon to Mikumari-jinja Shrine, Chikurin-in Temple, Yoshimizu-jinja Shrine, and Zao-do Hall

Take the ropeway and a bus up to Oku-Senbon, the deepest area of Mt. Yoshino, and walk down from there. Visit Kinpu-jinja Shrine, which enshrines the tutelary deity of Mt. Kinpu; Yoshino Mikumari-jinja Shrine in Kami-Senbon, also known as Komori-no-miya; and Chikurin-in Temple with Gunpo-en Garden, one of Yamato's three notable gardens. Continue to Yoshimizu-jinja Shrine in Naka-Senbon, and finally visit Zao-do Hall of Kinpusen-ji Temple before descending the mountain by ropeway.

History and Regional Appeal

Mt. Kinpu refers to the entire area spanning from Mt. Yoshino to Mt. Sanjogatake of Mt. Omine, and has been a sacred area since ancient times. Kinpu-jinja Shrine in Oku-Senbon sits along the Omine Okugake-michi trail, which leads from Yoshino through Mt. Omine to Kumano Hongu. This route descends along the road in front of Yoshino Mikumari-jinja Shrine and heads toward Zao-do Hall at the center of the mountain.

Ancient deities are enshrined in the depths of the mountain. Kinpu-jinja Shrine is a Myojin Taisha listed in the Engishiki, enshrining Kanayamahiko-no-kami, the tutelary deity of Mt. Kinpu. Near the end of the Heian period, a nyonin kekkai (boundary excluding women) was placed in front of this shrine. Fujiwara no Michinaga also made a pilgrimage to Mt. Kinpu and buried a sutra container there in 1007 (Kanko 4). Yoshino Mikumari-jinja Shrine in Kami-Senbon is an ancient shrine that enshrines deities governing the distribution of water. Over time, the name "mikumari" shifted to "mikomori," and it came to be worshipped as a shrine dedicated to the protection of children.

As you walk down the mountain, the temples and shrines intersect with human history. Chikurin-in Temple welcomed people in ancient times as a shukubo (temple lodging) for yamabushi (mountain ascetics). Yoshimizu-jinja Shrine in Naka-Senbon is where Minamoto no Yoshitsune hid from his pursuers and where Emperor Go-Daigo established his imperial palace for the Southern Court. In the center of the mountain stands Zao-do Hall of Kinpusen-ji Temple, the head training center of Shugendo.

Key Highlights

• ​Kinpu-jinja Shrine​​: An ancient shrine standing quietly in Oku-Senbon and a component asset of the World Heritage site "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range." A short walk down from the shrine pavilion stands Yoshitsune Kakure-to, where Minamoto no Yoshitsune is said to have hidden from his pursuers. Because of a story that he kicked through the roof to escape, it is also known as the Kenuke Pagoda.
• ​Yoshino Mikumari-jinja Shrine​​: Worshipped as a guardian deity for conception, safe childbirth, and children, it is also called Komori-no-miya. It is said that Toyotomi Hideyoshi prayed here for a child and was blessed with Hideyori; the current shrine buildings were rebuilt by Hideyori. Passing through the tower gate leads into an inner courtyard surrounded by the honden (main hall), heiden (offering hall), and haiden (worship hall).
• ​Chikurin-in Temple​​: A temple originating from an ancient temple said to have been founded by Prince Shotoku. Its garden, Gunpo-en Garden, is celebrated as one of the "Three Gardens of Yamato" alongside Taima-dera Temple Nakanobo and Jiko-in Temple; it is a pond stroll garden that incorporates the mountains of Yoshino into its borrowed scenery.
• ​Yoshimizu-jinja Shrine​​: Preserves the "Senkyo-no-ma" where Yoshitsune and Shizuka Gozen are said to have stayed, as well as the throne room of Emperor Go-Daigo. From the shrine grounds, a panoramic view known as "Hitome Senbon" overlooks the mountain cherry blossoms of Naka-Senbon and Kami-Senbon.
• ​Kinpusen-ji Temple​​: The National Treasure Zao-do Hall stands 34 meters high and is the second-largest historic wooden building in Japan after the Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji Temple. Inside, three secret principal images of Kongo Zao Daigongen are enshrined.

Recommended Route and Travel Time

The estimated time required is about 6 hours. From Osaka-Abenobashi Station, it takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to Kintetsu Yoshino Station by limited express. From Kyoto Station, it takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes by limited express, transferring at Kashiharajingu-mae Station. Take the ropeway from Senbonguchi Station, located just under a 3-minute walk from Yoshino Station. On certain days of the week, the ropeway is suspended and substituted with replacement buses.

Climbing the stairs from Yoshinoyama Station on the ropeway brings you immediately to the bus stop for buses bound for Oku-Senbon. It takes about 20 minutes to Oku-Senbonguchi. However, this bus normally operates only on Saturdays and Sundays, and does not run on weekdays and national holidays. Operating days may increase during the sightseeing season, and service is suspended during winter. During the cherry blossom season, the bus operates only between Chikurin-in-mae and Oku-Senbonguchi, so you walk from Yoshinoyama Station to the Chikurin-in-mae bus stop. In this case, pass by Zao-do Hall and Yoshimizu-jinja Shrine without visiting them first, and visit them on the way down. Please check the operating days and timetables with the transport operator.

On days when buses do not run, walk up the mountain. From Yoshinoyama Station, it takes about 1.5 hours on foot to Yoshino Mikumari-jinja Shrine, and about 2 hours to Kinpu-jinja Shrine. If the climb is strenuous, you may start descending from Yoshino Mikumari-jinja Shrine instead.

It takes about 5 minutes on foot from Oku-Senbonguchi to Kinpu-jinja Shrine. After viewing Yoshitsune Kakure-to, if time permits, you can take a 15-minute mountain trail detour to Saigyo-an, where the poet Saigyo built his hermitage. From the shrine, follow the Omine Okugake-michi trail northward downhill for about 1.5 km to reach Yoshino Mikumari-jinja Shrine. Continue northwest for another 1.2 km to reach Chikurin-in Temple. When entering the garden, speak to the inn's front desk. From Chikurin-in Temple, it is about 760 meters north to Yoshimizu-jinja Shrine, and about 300 meters west from there to Zao-do Hall. From Zao-do Hall, it takes about 10 minutes on foot to Yoshinoyama Station, where you take the ropeway down to Yoshino Station.

The cherry blossoms bloom upwards from the foot of the mountain in the order of Shimo-Senbon, Naka-Senbon, Kami-Senbon, and Oku-Senbon, with Oku-Senbon opening latest. In Kami-Senbon, the cherry blossoms typically bloom from early to mid-April. Crowds during the cherry blossom season are extremely heavy, and long lines often form for the ropeway, so it is recommended to start walking early.

Experience Summary

Worship ancient deities of Mt. Kinpu in the quiet forest of Oku-Senbon, view the pagoda whose roof Yoshitsune is said to have kicked through, and descend along the path of ascetic practitioners. Visit the shrine buildings of Komori-no-miya rebuilt by Hideyori, the garden of Chikurin-in Temple once used as a yamabushi lodging, the shoin of the Southern Court's palace, and finally the colossal Zao-do Hall. It is a full-day walk following the formation and history of Mt. Yoshino, traveling from deep mountain sanctuaries of prayer to the central hub where human history converges.