Mt. Oe

In short

The collective name for a mountain range spanning Fukuchiyama City, Miyazu City, and Yosano Town, where legends of oni (demons), such as Shuten-doji, remain. The highest peak, Mt. Senjogatake, has an elevation of 832.5 meters, and this peak is often referred to as Mt. Oe. The entire area is part of Tango-Amanohashidate-Oeyama Quasi-National Park.

• ​The Legend of Shuten-doji​​: The tale, handed down, of Minamoto no Yorimitsu and others defeating Shuten-doji, who had been kidnapping princesses from the capital, became the subject of kabuki plays and otogizoshi (illustrated storybooks) in the Edo period, and from the Meiji period to the early Showa period, it was also included in Japanese language textbooks
• ​Ridge Trail Connecting the Peaks and Beech Forests​​: The summits of the mountains are connected by hiking trails. With an elevation of about 600 meters as the boundary, camphor and oak forests spread below, while virgin forests of beech and Japanese horse chestnut thrive above
• ​Sea of Clouds at Onitake Inari-jinja Shrine​​: At this shrine at the 8th station, a sea of clouds appears from autumn to early winter when weather conditions are right

History and Highlights

​Mt. Oe​ is the collective name for a mountain range spanning Fukuchiyama City, Miyazu City, and Yosano Town, and is a mountain where legends of oni (demons), such as Shuten-doji, remain. From east to west, the peaks continue from Mt. Akaiwayama, Mt. Sugiyama, Oni no Iwaya, Nabezuka, Hatogamine, Mt. Senjogatake, to Mt. Akaishiyama, forming a gently undulating mountain range. The highest peak, Mt. Senjogatake, has an elevation of 832.5 meters, and this peak is often referred to as Mt. Oe. The entire area is part of Tango-Amanohashidate-Oeyama Quasi-National Park.

Three oni legends are handed down at Mt. Oe, the most famous of which is the story of Shuten-doji. In the Heian period, Shuten-doji, who made Mt. Oe his lair, was said to have kidnapped noble princesses from the capital. Ordered to subdue the demon, Minamoto no Yorimitsu and his four retainers (the Shitenno) disguised themselves as yamabushi (mountain ascetics) and headed for Mt. Oe. Legend has it that they intoxicated the demons with poisoned sake bestowed by an old man, defeated them, and rescued the princesses. In the Edo period, this tale became the subject of kabuki plays and otogizoshi (illustrated storybooks), and from the Meiji period to the early Showa period, it was also included in Japanese language textbooks.

Sights and Experiences

• ​Ridge Trail Connecting the Peaks​​: The summits of the mountains are connected by hiking trails, allowing visitors to enjoy traversing the ridge line and taking in the varied scenery. Most of the peaks, excluding Mt. Senjogatake, are made of serpentinite, transformed from rocks believed to have been Paleozoic oceanic crust. Because water permeates it easily, it is thought to have resulted in the mountains' gentle contours.
• ​Beech Forests​​: Around the 8th station, at an elevation of approximately 600 meters as a boundary, camphor and oak forests spread below, while virgin forests of beech and Japanese horse chestnut thrive above.
• ​Walking the Grounds of the Oni Legends​​: In Suzu, Miyazu City, there are sites said to have been left by oni, such as "Oni no Gankutsu" (Oni's Cave), "Onimi-no-taki" (Oni-Watching Falls), and "Oni no Ashiato-ishi" (Oni's Footprint Stone), collectively referred to as "Oni no Iwaya." It is also said that Shuten-doji used this area as his sleeping quarters, and it is now maintained as a trekking course.

Travel Tips

Onitake Inari-jinja Shrine, located at the 8th station, is an ideal spot to view a mystical sea of clouds, which appears from autumn to early winter when weather conditions are right. From Onitake Inari-jinja Shrine to the summit of Mt. Senjogatake, it is about a 45-minute walk. The three oni legends handed down at Mt. Oe are introduced in detail at the Japan Oni Exchange Museum, located about 3.5 kilometers to the east. In the same Oe-cho area, there are also the three Motoise shrines: Kotai-jinja Shrine, Ama-no-Iwato-jinja Shrine, and Toyouke Daijinja Shrine.