Yudonosan Shrine is under 5 km of Gassan mountaintop, and it looks mysterious and profound in deep ravine,

worship is permitted only after cleaning the body without wearing shoes.

It seems that mind is cleansed.

There are some temples with Sokushinbutsu, monks who transformed their own bodies into mummies while still living,

which is a mysterious experience of touching the essence of the Japanese Buddhism faith.

A Sokushinbutsu is a mummy, however, the mummified bodies are considerably different from the common mummy.

A priest loses his life under the ground, dies at a meditation state and is mummified, which is called Sokushinbutsu.

It is known as the most severe ascetic practices of the Buddhism.

In hope of the relief of the people, the priest who left his own body as a mummy after severe ascetic practices can be seen.

What do you think about it? There are Dainichi-bo Temple, Churen-ji Temple with Sokushinbutsu

in the area of the foot of the mountain.

Access and Getting Around

By bus

1 hour 30 minutes from Tsuruoka Station to  Yudonosan, 3 buses per day.

Take a shuttle bus bound for Yudonosan Shrine at the terminal.

By car

50 minutes from Tsuruoka Station, 50 minutes from Shonai Airport.