Basic information

Katsuragi Shugen Cultural Properties
Hiraishi Pass, Myoen Bodhisattva Chapter (24th Sutra Mound)
The 24th sutra mound of the Katsuragi Shugen pilgrimage is located at Hiraishi Pass, on the northern ridge of Mt. Iwahashi, which forms the border between Kawachi and Yamato, south of Mt. Nijo. Two stone Buddha statues of En no Gyoja and Acala are enshrined on the slope of the mountain just before the pass, along with a stone-built sutra mound. The area around Mt. Iwahashi is home to many Shugendo legends and unusual rock formations, including Kume no Iwabashi, where the legend of En no Gyoja and the local deity Hitokotonushi no Kami is told, and a training site called Tainai Kuguri, where huge rocks are piled up.
・Kokiji Temple Koukabatake Kannon Bodhisattva Universal Gate Chapter (25th Sutra Mound)
This is the 25th sutra mound of the Katsuragi Shugen pilgrimage. It is located within the grounds of Kokiji Temple on Mt. Jinka, which is said to have been founded by En no Gyoja during the reign of Emperor Mommu. A stone shrine dedicated to Acala is enshrined within a huge natural stone. Formerly called Kokaji Temple, it was renamed Kokiji Temple after Kobo Daishi experienced the Bodhisattva Kokitokuo during his training on the mountain. The main hall houses the Five Great Wisdom Kings, the principal image of the temple, while the lecture hall houses statues of En no Gyoja and Rigen Daishi, along with a wooden seated statue of Benzaiten, a secret Buddhist statue designated as an Important Cultural Property. To the west of the temple, in the mountains, is Iwafune Shrine, the guardian deity of the temple.