Mount Omine
Encyclopedia
, is a sacred mountain in Nara
, Japan
, famous for its three tests of courage.
Officially known as , it is more popularly known as Mount Ōmine due to its prominence in the Ōmine mountain range. It is located in Yoshino-Kumano National Park
in the Kansai region, Honshū
, Japan.
The temple Ōminesanji, located at the top of the mountain, is the headquarters of the Shugendō
sect of Japanese Buddhism and the entire mountain is part of a pilgrimage and training ground for the yamabushi
.
, as a home for his new religion of Shugendō. Shugendo literally means "the path of training and testing," and is based on the self-actualization of spiritual power in experiential form through challenging and rigorous ritualistic tests of courage and devotion known as shugyo.
During the Meiji period
, in 1872 the imperial government forbade all "superstitious practices" including belief in folkloric creatures such as Yōkai
and Yūrei
, as well as gender bans on sacred mountains such as Mount Fuji
and all of the rituals of Mount Ōmine. During this time the mountain was closed, and any Shugendo practices were carried on in secret. However, in 1945 the Japanese Culture Act repealed these edicts, and the mountain was opened again. Shugendō practicers were quick to reclaim the mountain and restore the traditions.
In 1964, Mountaineer
/author
Kyūya Fukada
selected Mount Ōmine as number 91 of his 100 famous mountains in Japan. Fukuda's three criteria for the selection of 100 celebrated mountains was their physical grandeur, historical and spiritual significance to Japan, and its individuality, meaning it must have a unique shape, phenomenon or event associated with it. In 1980 an area of 36,000 ha in the region of Mount Ōmine and Mount Ōdaigahara
was designated a UNESCO
Man and the Biosphere Reserve.
In 2004, it was designated as an UNESCO
World Heritage Site
, as part of the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
". This selection was seen as ending the controversy surrounding the mountain's ban on women climbers, as it was given official approval by UNESCO.
Traditionally, women in Japan were not allowed to climb mountains sacred to the Shinto
religions. While the origins of the traditions can only be guessed at, originally these areas were banned to unclean people, such as those who had recently had a death in the family or menstruating women, which was believed to be linked to Shinto
concepts of impurity, specifically the "blood impurity" brought on by menstruation
and childbirth.
Other sacred mountains had different traditions, such as segregating the sexes by season, allowing women to climb at some times and men to climb at others. It is believed that the reason for this ban was to remove thoughts of temptation
from the Yamabushi monks who are supposed to practice the strict self-denial of a hermit in isolated mountain. Eventually the bans came to be called Nyonin Kekkai (女人結界) and toward women only.
Mount Ōmine is the headquarters of the Shugendō religion, an ascetic practice with a long tradition. Because of a decrease of ascetic practitioners in modern Japan, most Shugendō-related mountains are no longer used for mountain retreats and are now tourist attractions. Consequently, these sites removed their gender-restrictions and only Mount Ōmine remains.
Only Mount Sanjō has the ban on women. The Mount Inamura (稲村ヶ岳) section of Mount Ōmine is reserved for women and is often called Nyonin Ōmine (女人大峯), "Women's Ōmine". The holiest temple for the Shugendō religion is found at the Yamagaoka hill section, and a sign at the entrance to the mountain proclaims "No Women Admitted," in English and Japanese. (Mount Athos
in Greece, an Orthodox Christian site, has a similar ban on women.) Mount Ōmine's prohibition is voluntary. There have been breaches every year by feminist activists but no trespassing charge has ever been filed. Every time the boundary is breached, the temple and the local community issue a request for people to respect their religion and tradition.
The ban has been challenged many times but without success. Supporters note that sexual segregation does not equal sexual discrimination. Supporters also state that the ban has an unbroken, 1,300-year tradition. Mount Ōmine's designation as a World Heritage site by UNESCO
was seen by critics of the ban to have given the gender ban a stamp of approval.
Nara Prefecture
is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, famous for its three tests of courage.
Officially known as , it is more popularly known as Mount Ōmine due to its prominence in the Ōmine mountain range. It is located in Yoshino-Kumano National Park
Yoshino-Kumano National Park
is a national park in the Kansai region, Honshū, Japan. It was accredited on February 1, 1936.Part of it was accredited World Heritage Site in 2004.Northernmost of mountain lands in it called Yoshino is famous site of cherry blossoms.-External links:...
in the Kansai region, Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, Japan.
The temple Ōminesanji, located at the top of the mountain, is the headquarters of the Shugendō
Shugendo
is a highly syncretic Buddhic religion or sect and mystical-spiritual tradition which originated in pre-Feudal Japan, in which enlightenment is equated with attaining oneness with the . This perception of experiential "awakening" is obtained through the understanding of the relationship between...
sect of Japanese Buddhism and the entire mountain is part of a pilgrimage and training ground for the yamabushi
Yamabushi
' are Japanese mountain ascetic hermits with a long tradition as mighty warriors endowed with supernatural powers. They follow the Shugendō doctrine, an integration of mainly esoteric Buddhism of the Shingon sect, with Tendai and Shinto elements...
.
History
The monastery at Mount Ōmine was founded in the 8th century by En no GyōjaEn no Gyoja
En no Gyōja , or En no Ozunu , born 634, was a Japanese ascetic and mystic, traditionally held to be the founder of Shugendō, a syncretic religion incorporating aspects of Taoism, Shinto, esoteric Buddhism and traditional Japanese shamanism...
, as a home for his new religion of Shugendō. Shugendo literally means "the path of training and testing," and is based on the self-actualization of spiritual power in experiential form through challenging and rigorous ritualistic tests of courage and devotion known as shugyo.
During the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
, in 1872 the imperial government forbade all "superstitious practices" including belief in folkloric creatures such as Yōkai
Yōkai
are a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. The word yōkai is made up of the kanji for "otherworldly" and "weird". Yōkai range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them...
and Yūrei
Yurei
are figures in Japanese folklore, analogous to Western legends of ghosts. The name consists of two kanji, 幽 , meaning "faint" or "dim" and 霊 , meaning "soul" or "spirit." Alternative names include 亡霊 meaning ruined or departed spirit, 死霊 meaning dead spirit, or the more encompassing 妖怪 or お化け...
, as well as gender bans on sacred mountains such as Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
and all of the rituals of Mount Ōmine. During this time the mountain was closed, and any Shugendo practices were carried on in secret. However, in 1945 the Japanese Culture Act repealed these edicts, and the mountain was opened again. Shugendō practicers were quick to reclaim the mountain and restore the traditions.
In 1964, Mountaineer
Mountaineer
-Sports:*Mountaineering, the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains, also known as alpinism-University athletic teams and mascots:*Appalachian State Mountaineers, the athletic teams of Appalachian State University...
/author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Kyūya Fukada
Kyuya Fukada
was a Japanese writer and mountaineer active during the Showa period in Japan.-Early life:Kyūya was born in what is now Kaga city, Ishikawa prefecture. He attended the Fujishima High School, followed by the preparatory school for the Tokyo Imperial University, where he studied literature. During...
selected Mount Ōmine as number 91 of his 100 famous mountains in Japan. Fukuda's three criteria for the selection of 100 celebrated mountains was their physical grandeur, historical and spiritual significance to Japan, and its individuality, meaning it must have a unique shape, phenomenon or event associated with it. In 1980 an area of 36,000 ha in the region of Mount Ōmine and Mount Ōdaigahara
Mount Odaigahara
, also is a mountain in the Daikō Mountain Range and on the border between the prefectures of Mie and Nara, Japan. The mountain is the highest in Mie. In 1980 an area of 36,000 ha in the region of Mount Ōdaigahara and Mount Ōmine was designated a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve.- References :...
was designated a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Man and the Biosphere Reserve.
In 2004, it was designated as an UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, as part of the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the Kii Peninsula in Japan.- Selection criteria :...
". This selection was seen as ending the controversy surrounding the mountain's ban on women climbers, as it was given official approval by UNESCO.
Ban on women
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
religions. While the origins of the traditions can only be guessed at, originally these areas were banned to unclean people, such as those who had recently had a death in the family or menstruating women, which was believed to be linked to Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
concepts of impurity, specifically the "blood impurity" brought on by menstruation
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
and childbirth.
Other sacred mountains had different traditions, such as segregating the sexes by season, allowing women to climb at some times and men to climb at others. It is believed that the reason for this ban was to remove thoughts of temptation
Temptation
A temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual. It is usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and as such, tends to lead a person to regret such actions, for various reasons: legal, social, psychological , health, economic, etc...
from the Yamabushi monks who are supposed to practice the strict self-denial of a hermit in isolated mountain. Eventually the bans came to be called Nyonin Kekkai (女人結界) and toward women only.
Mount Ōmine is the headquarters of the Shugendō religion, an ascetic practice with a long tradition. Because of a decrease of ascetic practitioners in modern Japan, most Shugendō-related mountains are no longer used for mountain retreats and are now tourist attractions. Consequently, these sites removed their gender-restrictions and only Mount Ōmine remains.
Only Mount Sanjō has the ban on women. The Mount Inamura (稲村ヶ岳) section of Mount Ōmine is reserved for women and is often called Nyonin Ōmine (女人大峯), "Women's Ōmine". The holiest temple for the Shugendō religion is found at the Yamagaoka hill section, and a sign at the entrance to the mountain proclaims "No Women Admitted," in English and Japanese. (Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
in Greece, an Orthodox Christian site, has a similar ban on women.) Mount Ōmine's prohibition is voluntary. There have been breaches every year by feminist activists but no trespassing charge has ever been filed. Every time the boundary is breached, the temple and the local community issue a request for people to respect their religion and tradition.
The ban has been challenged many times but without success. Supporters note that sexual segregation does not equal sexual discrimination. Supporters also state that the ban has an unbroken, 1,300-year tradition. Mount Ōmine's designation as a World Heritage site by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
was seen by critics of the ban to have given the gender ban a stamp of approval.
Tests of courage
There are three shugyo on Mount Ōmine, each said to strengthen the spiritual power of the challenger. Climbers not wishing to take the tests can easily walk around them.- Kane Kane Iwa: The Hanging Stone, also known as the Crab Rock due to the position one must take when ascending, is a roughly 30-foot cliff, most of which is easily climbable. However, at the top there is an overhanging rock. To climb the rock, one must swing out over the overhang, using an embedded length of chain to ascend.
- Nishi no Nozoki: The Insight from the West is a sheer cliff, roughly 200 feet high, about the same height as the Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate BridgeThe Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
. Novices are held head-first over the cliff, where they are compelled to admit their faults and promise to follow the social and religious laws.
- Byodo Iwa: The Rock of Equality is only available by special request. It is a rock tower, overlooking a deep cliff. Several projections from the wall allow individuals to cross over to the other side.