Ontake Shrine is dedicated to the worship of Mount Ontake, one of Japan's sacred mountains. The shrine serves as a spiritual center for mountain worship and is associated with the Ontake-kyo religious movement that venerates the mountain as a divine entity.
- Denomination
- Ontake
- Religion
- shinto
- Enshrined kami
- Ontake no Kami
- Kami enshrined
- Ontake no Kami, Kunitokotachi no Mikoto, Okuninushi no Mikoto
- Coordinates
- 35.1578957, 137.0253054
Visitor tip
If planning to climb Mount Ontake, it's traditional to pray at the shrine for safe passage before beginning your ascent.
Cultural notes
Mount Ontake is considered one of the three sacred mountains of Japan along with Mount Fuji and Mount Hakusan, and has been a site of spiritual training for yamabushi mountain ascetics for generations.
Historical note
The shrine is connected to the ancient tradition of mountain worship (sangaku shinko) that has been practiced in the Japanese Alps region for centuries. Mount Ontake became particularly significant during the Edo period when it developed as a center for religious pilgrimage and ascetic practices.