Mount Ushiro
Encyclopedia
is a mountain on the border of Shisō
, Hyōgo Prefecture
, and Mimasaka
, Okayama Prefecture
, Japan
. It is the highest mountain in Okayama Prefecture and the third highest mountain in Hyōgo Prefecture, after Mount Hyōno
and Mount Mimuro
. In Hyōgo Prefecture this mountain is also known as Itabami-san and in Tottori Prefecture
it is also known as Ushiro-no-sen.
. This mountain belongs to the Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park
. It is one of Hyōgo 50 mountains as well as one of Kinki 100 mountains and the Chūgoku 100 mountains.
in this region, and called Nishi-Omine, literally, West Omine. Omine is the name of the most important mountain for Shugendō in Japan. According to a local narration in this area{fact}, this mountain was developed as a training area by En no Gyōja
, the founder of Shugendō in the 7th century, for Shugensha, practitioners of Shigendō. However, Dosen-ji, which is the center for the Shugendō on this mountain, was established in the 13th century, so it would be natural to understand Shugendō on this mountain also started about that time. Mount Ushiro is one of the mountains which still have some areas which women are prohibited to enter so as to not to bother the training of Shugensha.
Shiso, Hyogo
is a city located in Hyōgo, Japan.The city was founded on April 1, 2005 from the merger of four towns from Shisō District: Chikusa, Haga, Ichinomiya, and Yamasaki.As of 2008 census data, the city has an estimated population of 42,008...
, Hyōgo Prefecture
Hyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
, and Mimasaka
Mimasaka, Okayama
is a city located in Okayama, Japan.It is the result of a merger involving the former town of the same name. The merger took place on March 31, 2005 when the town of Katsuta from Katsuta District, the towns of Aida, Ōhara and Sakutō, and the village Higashiawakura, all from Aida District, were...
, Okayama Prefecture
Okayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...
, 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...
. It is the highest mountain in Okayama Prefecture and the third highest mountain in Hyōgo Prefecture, after Mount Hyōno
Mount Hyono
is a mountain on the border of Yabu, Hyōgo Prefecture, and Wakasa, Tottori Prefecture, in Japan. It is the highest mountain in Hyōgo Prefecture. This mountain is one of the 200 famous mountains in Japan...
and Mount Mimuro
Mount Mimuro
is a mountain on the border of Shisō, Hyōgo Prefecture, and Wakasa, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The height is , and this mountains is the second highest mountain in Hyōgo Prefecture after Mount Hyōno.- Outline :...
. In Hyōgo Prefecture this mountain is also known as Itabami-san and in Tottori Prefecture
Tottori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region. The capital is the city of Tottori. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.- History :Before the Meiji Restoration, Tottori encompassed the old provinces of Hōki and Inaba...
it is also known as Ushiro-no-sen.
Outline
Mount Ushiro is a fault-block mountain typical of the Chūgoku MountainsChugoku Mountains
is a mountain range in the Chūgoku region of western Japan. It runs in an east-west direction and stretches approximately from Hyōgo Prefecture in the east to the coast of Yamaguchi Prefecture. It also reaches under the Pacific Ocean....
. This mountain belongs to the Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park
Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park
is a Quasi-National Park in Hyōgo Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, and Okayama Prefecture, Japan. It was founded on 10 April 1969 and has an area of 488 km².-Overview:The park comprises three mountainous areas at the junction between the three prefectures....
. It is one of Hyōgo 50 mountains as well as one of Kinki 100 mountains and the Chūgoku 100 mountains.
Religion and history
Mount Ushiro is a center of ShugendōShugendo
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...
in this region, and called Nishi-Omine, literally, West Omine. Omine is the name of the most important mountain for Shugendō in Japan. According to a local narration in this area{fact}, this mountain was developed as a training area by En no Gyōja
En 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...
, the founder of Shugendō in the 7th century, for Shugensha, practitioners of Shigendō. However, Dosen-ji, which is the center for the Shugendō on this mountain, was established in the 13th century, so it would be natural to understand Shugendō on this mountain also started about that time. Mount Ushiro is one of the mountains which still have some areas which women are prohibited to enter so as to not to bother the training of Shugensha.