Have you ever seen such a place?
It is almost like a miracle for a building to cling in such precipice.

This temple called Mitokusan Sanbutuji Nageire-do is located in the center of Tottori prefecture. Since I read about this temple in a magazine, I wished to visit this place and I was able to make my wish come true.

There are few bus rides so it will be better to go by car. There is the bus heading Mitokusan from Kurayoshi station (JR Sanin Main Line). It takes about 30 minutes to reach the entrance of Mitokusan. I stayed at a hotel near Kurayoshi station in order to ride the first bus in the morning.

On the way to the mountain, there is Misasa onsen(hot spring), famous for its radioactive water including high-density radon. I recommend you taking a bath after the mountain climbing.

The way to Nageiredo.

As you go up steep stone steps after getting off the bus, there is an information desk and you pay 400yen as worshipping fee. Here they check how many people there are and the back of your shoes. Recently, there are many people slipping and leading to major accidents so going in the mountain alone is prohibited. Of course there are people visiting alone so in that case, they make you pair up with another person with agreement in both parties and climb together.

I happened to climb together with a middle-aged man riding the same bus. I was worried if nobody came since it was on a weekday but fortunately, I was able to climb soon.

As you pass the info and climb into the precincts of the temple, there is the main temple. Unfortunately, it was on construction when I visited.

There is a mountaineering office pass the main temple.
Here, you pay 200yen for entrance fee. Again, they will check the number and back of your shoes. In my case, the sole was almost flat so I bought straw sandals (500 yen).
You will write the time you entered, name, and contact information. Receive a loop-shaped monk’s stole as a lucky charm, get ready and now time to go. There will be no restrooms or drinking fountain. The office also sells water bottles and work gloves as well.

Straw sandals and the lucky charm loop-shaped monk’s stole. It is my first time wearing straw sandals. Straw sandals are fit for climbing mountains than regular shoes.

Behind the main temple is cinnabar red Shikuri Bridge. This is the beginning of trip. The path to Nageiredo is a path of ascetic practice. Keeping that in mind, I began to climb. As soon as I crossed the bridge, there was the first difficult path, Kazurazaka.

The bared tree roots are the only things to grab to climb up this steep path. Make sure you grasp tightly.

Steep uphill slope continues after Kazurazaka until Kusarizaka. You can see the scaffold of Monjudo.

There is a chain hanging along the steep rocky stretch and you use this one chain to climb. I didn’t have work gloves but it might be a good idea to have one. One by one, slowly but surely we climb up the rocks. The bumps on rocks help the climbing so you won’t need that much strength.

A view from the top of Kusarizaka. You can tell how steep the cliff is.
As you reach the top, the Monjudo stands before you.

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*Mitokusan Sanbutuji Nageiredo Part2