Cultural Assets－Sutra Mounds

Sutra mound #22. In the mountains near Mizukoshi-toge Pass, which lies between Mount Kongo and Mount Yamato-Katsuragi, you’ll find Otawa Jizo. This place, dedicated to the Jizo bodhisattva (a guardian of children and travelers), is believed to be a sutra mound. At the foot of a large cedar tree is a copper-roofed wooden mini shrine sitting atop a granite foundation. Inside is a statue of Jizo. The ancient site of Asahara-dera Temple can be found along the mountain trail from Otawa Jizo to Mount Kongo. According to the Shozan-engi (a record of Shugendo mountains compiled in the late 12th century), the temple was a Shugendo site. It is believed that it provided lodging for Shugendo pilgrims.