The history of the
Rokujurigoe Kaido
For more than 1,200 years, the Rokujurigoe Kaido has linked local communities to Mt. Yudono, one of Japan’s most sacred and secretive mountains and part of the Dewa Sanzan sacred mountains. Closely associated with Shingon esoteric Buddhism with many legends linked to Kobo Daishi, and the practice of sokushinbutsu self-mummification, the route served as both a pilgrimage path and a vital corridor through the mountains. Today, it preserves a spiritual landscape shaped by centuries of ascetic practice, belief, and resilience; protected within the Bandai-Asahi National Park.
Mt. Yudono: Rebirth, esoteric Buddhism and self-mummification
There are approximately 19 known sokushinbutsu (self-mummified monks) in Japan.
Notably, 10 of them trained on Mt. Yudono, the third mountain of the Dewa Sanzan sacred triad and an important site of Shingon Buddhist practice.
Sokushinbutsu represent the core spiritual ideal of Shingon Buddhism, expressing the principle of sokushinjobutsu 即身成仏: the realization of Buddhahood within one’s present body. Unlike other Buddhist schools where enlightenment is often viewed as a state attained after death, Shingon teachings emphasize that a monk can reach this state through rigorous ascetic discipline during his lifetime. The preservation of the body after death, free from putrefaction, is understood as tangible evidence of this spiritual attainment.
Mt. Yudono was formally integrated into the Dewa Sanzan sacred mountains in the early 17th century as part of the sacred Shugendo (mountain asceticism) triad. However, the mountain had already existed for centuries as a sacred site of Shingon Buddhism, devoted to "rebirth" as a Shingon concept. Some historians argue Mt. Yudono developed its own self-mummification training in order to reaffirm its Shingon identity against Mt. Haguro's growing Tendai Buddhist community.
Before the 19th century, Mt. Yudono was administered by four principal Shingon Buddhist temples:
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Hondoji Temple and Dainichiji Temple, located in present-day Nishikawa Town,
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Churenji Temple and Dainichibo Temple, located in present-day Tsuruoka City (Oami hamlet).
These temples supervised ascetic training on Mt. Yudono and granted formal authorization to pilgrims seeking to enter the sacred mountain and allowed women (who were traditionally prohibited from entering many of Japan’s most sacred sites) to practice their faith towards Mt. Yudono within their temples' precincts.
The Rokujurigoe Kaido pilgrimage route connects Tsuruoka City (main trailhead: Honmyoji Temple) with Nishikawa Town (main trailhead: Hondoji), connecting both regions to Mt. Yudono forming a vital spiritual corridor linking the communities and sacred landscapes associated with Shingon Buddhism.
Sources: 戸川安章 TOGAWA Ansho, 出羽三山のミイラ仏 Dewa Sanzan no miirabutsu ("Mummified Buddhas of Dewa Sanzan"), Chuo Shoin 中央書院, p.1-14, 70-78.
IWAHANA Michiaki, “Sokushinbutsu”: Japan’s Buddhist Mummies, nippon.com (January 26, 2022)
Shinnyokai-shonin, Dainichibo Temple's sokushinbutsu
Sokushinbutsu : living Buddhas
Sokushinbutsu 即身仏, literally meaning “Buddha in one’s living body,” refers to monks who undertook a self-mummifying training in pursuit of Buddhahood during their present lifetime. This practice is rooted in Shingon Buddhism and expresses the doctrine of sokushinjobutsu 即身成仏: the realization of enlightenment without waiting for rebirth.
According to tradition, the first sokushinbutsu in Japan was Kobo Daishi (Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism, who is believed not to have died but to remain in eternal meditation at Mt. Koya. Three sokushinbutsu are found along the Rokujurigoe Kaido pilgrimage route:
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Honmyokai-shonin at Honmyoji Temple (first sokushinbutsu of Mt. Yudono's tradition)
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Tetsumonkai-shonin at Churenji Temple
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Shinnyokai-shonin at Dainichibo Temple
Sokushinbutsu monks associated with Mt. Yudono can often be identified by the suffix –kai 海 in their religious name, in reference to Kukai (Kobo Daishi) indicating that their ascetic training was carried out on or under the spiritual authority of Mt. Yudono. The title shonin 上人 means “revered monk.”
The path to becoming a sokushinbutsu
The training to become a sokushinbutsu took many years and unfolded in several stages.
First, the monk would embark on long periods of alms collection, often lasting several hundred days. This was followed by 1,000 to 3,000 days of severe dietary restrictions known as:
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Gokoku-dachi 五穀断ち – abstaining from the five sacred grains
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Jukkoku-dachi 十穀断ち – an even stricter phase, eliminating ten grains
Eventually, the monk would adopt mokujiki 木食, a diet consisting only of forest resources such as nuts, roots, bark, leaves, and tree sap. This practice aimed to remove body fat and moisture, slowing decomposition after death.
Dochu Nyujo: entering meditation underground
When the monk felt death approaching, he would perform dochu nyujo 土中入定—“entering meditation within the ground.”
A pit approximately three meters underground was prepared, lined with stones to reduce humidity. Two bamboo tubes were inserted: one for air, one for water supplied by disciples. The monk entered the pit with a ritual bell and a tea made from urushi lacquer sap, whose toxicity further inhibited bodily decay. The pit was then sealed.
Each day, disciples listened for the sound of the bell. When it stopped, they waited 1,000 additional days before opening the tomb.
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If the body showed no signs of putrefaction, the monk was officially recognized as a sokushinbutsu, a Living Buddha.
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If the body had decomposed, the attempt was considered unsuccessful.
Why become a sokushinbutsu?
To modern eyes, this practice may seem extreme. However, sokushinbutsu are regarded by believers not merely as enlightened monks, but as living deities capable of granting protection and salvation, especially from diseases and hunger.
In Shingon Buddhism, Buddhas are not distant figures; they are active spiritual presences believed to respond to prayers and wishes. In regions historically affected by poverty, famine, and natural disasters, sokushinbutsu served as powerful sources of faith and emotional support for local communities.
The origins of the Rokujurigoe Kaido
The Oami hamlet seen from the Juotoge Pass on the Rokujurigoe Kaido
The origins of the Rokujurigoe Kaido pilgrimage trail are traditionally associated with the establishment of Churenji Temple (833) and Dainichibo Temple (852)—two of the four principal temples of Mt. Yudono—both located in the hamlet of Oami, today part of Asahi-mura in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture. These foundations mark the early institutional presence of esoteric Buddhist practices in Mt. Yudono's region and provide an important historical framework for the development and continued use of the route.
Historical sources attest to the antiquity of the trail’s use. According to the Dewa Fudoki (出羽風土記), a regional gazetteer compiled in 1792, pilgrims were already traversing the Rokujurigoe Kaido to reach Mt. Yudono as early as the Nara period (8th century). This account confirms the route’s long-standing role as a conduit for religious practice rooted in mountain worship traditions, including those of the Emishi people (indigenous people of the Tohoku region), as well as for seasonal movement through the mountainous landscape of Dewa.
Unfortunately, due to health reasons, the temple is open to visitors by reservation only (phone reservations required). Visitors taking part in a self-guided tour may enter the interior of the temple.
The Shimekake-zakura is a sacred cherry tree where pilgrims leave their shime (sacred straw necklace, 注連) on their way home, marking the completion of their pilgrimage to Mt. Yudono.
Unfortunately, due to health reasons, the temple is open to visitors by reservation only (phone reservations required). Visitors taking part in a self-guided tour may enter the interior of the temple.
Churenji Temple, Tsuruoka City (Oami hamlet)
Beyond pilgrimage: the multiple functions of the Rokujurigoe Kaido
While the Rokujurigoe Kaido primarily functioned as a sacred approach to Mt. Yudono—a central site of Shingon Buddhist mountain worship, and a place believed to have been revered for Emishi mountain worship even prior to its formal Buddhist affiliation, its significance was never limited to religious devotion alone.
By linking the inland areas of Yamagata Prefecture with the coastal Shonai region, the road fulfilled an important strategic and practical function. It provided a reliable passage for the movement of people and resources across the region and, owing to its narrow, steep, and rugged terrain, contributed to the defense of the coastline by restricting access by large-scale invading forces. In this way, the trail formed part of a broader system of territorial management shaped by geography and human adaptation.
During the Edo period (1603–1868), it remained an important artery of travel, regularly used by the lords of Shonai and their retainers as part of the sankin-kotai system, which required them to journey to the shogunal capital of Edo (present-day Tokyo) at regular intervals. Beyond the movements of the warrior class, the route also supported the everyday mobility of merchants and farmers, who relied on it to transport goods between the coastal areas and the inland cities of the nairiku region, reinforcing its role as a living route embedded in the economic and social fabric of the region.
A Route Reflecting Early Social and Cultural Divisions
Historical sources indicate that the Rokujurigoe Kaido was already in use for military purposes during periods of conflict. During the Emishi uprisings of the late 8th and early 9th centuries, the route is believed to have served as a military corridor. In 792, the general Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was dispatched to the Dewa region to pacify the Emishi tribes and is traditionally thought to have traveled along the Rokujurigoe Kaido to reach their northern settlements.
Rokujurigoe Kaido: the etymology
The name Rokujurigoe Kaido 六十里越街道 literally translates as “the highway that crosses sixty ri,” deriving from an historical unit of distance, the ri (里), which measured approximately 654 meters (0.4 miles). At the time, one ri was defined as six cho (町), with each cho equal to roughly 109 meters.
By this measure, the distance between Hondoji Temple—another principal temple of the Mt. Yudono Shingon Buddhist lineage—and Oami (the hamlet where Churenji and Dainichibo temples are located) was precisely 60 ri, or approximately 39.2 kilometers (24.36 miles). Because the route required passage over multiple mountain passes, it became known as the “Crossing (-goe) Road of the 60 Ri”, hence the designation Rokujurigoe Kaido.
Pilgrims resting at the Kobo Chaya teahouse (now disappeared) on the Rokujurigoe Kaido.
Religious transformations in the Dewa Sanzan of the 19th century and their impact on pilgrimage practices at Mt. Yudono
Since its earliest days, Mt. Yudono has been deeply associated with Shingon Buddhism, a major school of Esoteric Buddhism. According to Mt. Yudono's Buddhist tradition, the sect’s founder, Kukai (Kobo Daishi), personally sanctified the mountain in the 9th century, establishing it as a sacred site of esoteric practice. Over the centuries, pilgrims from across northern Japan traveled to Mt. Yudono, drawn by its profound spiritual significance within the Shingon tradition. In 1733, official records note that 157,000 pilgrims had visited the site, and within those numbers, the famous haiku poet Matsuo Basho who dedicated two haikus to Mt. Yudono, proof of its popularity back in the 18th century.
Between 1570 and 1592, Mt. Yudono was formally incorporated into the triad of the Dewa Sanzan, replacing Mt. Hayama as the third sacred peak. This reconfiguration was driven primarily by geographical considerations: Mt. Hayama (Sagae city) was too far from Mt. Haguro and Mt. Gassan, whereas Mt. Yudono formed a more natural continuation of the same mountain range. Although the spiritual character of Mt. Yudono, rooted in Shingon Buddhist practice, differed from that of the other two peaks, its temples accepted the new designation. They perceived it as compatible with their own rituals and status, particularly because both Mt. Haguro and Mt. Yudono shared a similar doctrinal belief in the possibility of rebirth within the mountain.
This harmony was disrupted in 1868 with the Meiji Restoration, when the new central government sought to construct a unified national identity centered on Shinto. This policy led to shinbutsu bunri 神仏分離, the mandated division of Shinto and Buddhist practices, historically observed in combination. Religions considered “primitive” or “superstitious,” including Shugendo (mountain ascetic practices), were prohibited. In 1869, the government ordered the Dewa Sanzan mountains to be converted into Shinto sites, beginning with Mt. Haguro.
In 1873, Mt. Yudono was officially made a Shinto shrine despite strong resistance from its principal temples, Churenji and Dainichibo. Buddhist icons and statues were removed—some preserved in temple repositories, others destroyed—and many monuments along the Rokujurigoe Kaido were damaged or desecrated. Statues were decapitated or smashed, and for countless pilgrims, these acts represented a profound spiritual loss.
Today, the trail is primarily traversed by hikers, history enthusiasts, and nature observers, serving as a landscape of memory that bears witness to centuries of religious practice and the impacts of state-led reforms.
Yudonosan Senninzawa: the valley that marks the entrance to the Yudonosan shrine and Mt. Yudono's deity
Beheaded Jizo statues near the Dokko Chaya Spring, on the Rokujurigoe Kaido Pilgrimage route
Beheaded statue of Vairocana Buddha in Kobo no Watashi (Tsuruoka City)
Sources:
Asahimurashi gekan ("Asahi village's history, last volume") 朝日村史 下巻, Asahimura murashihensan iinkan 朝日村村史偏さん委員会, Asahimura 朝日村,1985, p.65-69, p.72-73.
TOGAWA Ansho 戸川安章, Dewa sanzan shugendo no kenkyu ("Studies of the Dewa Sanzan Shugendo") 出羽三山修験道の研究, Kosei Shuppansha 佼成出版社, 1973.
Asahimurashi jokan ("Asahi village's history, first volume") 朝日村史 上巻, Asahimura murashihensan iinkan 朝日村村史偏さん委員会, Asahimura 朝日村,1985, p.145-155.
Inishie no kodai kara gendai made o tazunete: Rokujurigoekaido いにしえの古代から現代までを訪ねて—六十里越街道の歴史, 社団法人東北建設協会, 1992.
Ministry of Land Infrastructure Transport and Tourism Tohoku Regional Development Bureau webpage: https://www.thr.mlit.go.jp/sakata/road/60history/002.html
語られぬ
湯殿にぬらす
袂たもとかな
One shall not speak
The secrets of Yudono
Tears on my sleeves
Literal translation of Matsuo Basho's haiku (1689)
Statue of Matsuo Basho
湯殿山
銭ふむ道の
泪かな
Paths on Yudono
Covered in golden coins
Tears flowing down
Literal translation of Matsuo Basho's haiku (1689)
The Bandai-Asahi National Park
Mt. Yudono and sections of the Rokujurigoe Kaido pilgrimage trail are part of the Bandai-Asahi National Park—the second-largest national park in Japan. Spanning 1,863 km² (719 mi²), the park stretches across three prefectures: in Yamagata, it encompasses the sacred peaks of the Dewa Sanzan and the Asahi mountain range; in Fukushima, it includes the Azuma Mountains, Mt. Bandai, and Lake Inawashiro; and in Niigata, it reaches into the Mt. Iide area.
Bandai-Asahi National Park is protected not only for its breathtaking landscapes and biodiversity but also for its deep spiritual and cultural heritage. The area is home to rare and endemic plant and animal species, along with ancient beech forests that have stood undisturbed for centuries.
We kindly ask all visitors to help preserve this natural and sacred environment. Please carry out all trash, avoid picking wild plants, and refrain from disturbing local wildlife while hiking in the Bandai-Asahi area.
Mt. Haguro's entrance torii gate in front of Mt. Gassan