At 3,003 metres a priest blesses pilgrims, but only from July to September.
On top of Oyama, the main peak of the Tateyama massif at 3,003 metres, the Minehonsha shrine is the highest shrine in Japan: from July to September, when the snow allows, a priest goes up to live at the summit and offers a paid blessing to the pilgrims who arrive through a torii, after about two hours' walk on a stony path from Murodo. Tateyama has been venerated for centuries as one of Japan's three sacred mountains, together with Fuji and Hakusan.
Main peak of the Tateyama massif, reachable on foot from Murodo Station (2,450 m) on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route; distinct from the Murodo plateau and from Lake Mikuriga-ike, which lie lower down and closer to the station.
ℹ️ The summit shrine is staffed and open to climbers roughly from early July to late September; outside this period the summit can still be reached by those equipped for snow, but without the priest. Climb of about two hours from Murodo, with an ascent of about 550 metres; an offering of a few thousand yen for the priest's blessing.
🚉 Murodō · 32 min walk
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Murodo and Lake Mikuriga-ike2 kmphoto by Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY 2.0
Kurobe Dam4 kmphoto by lumoplank · CC0
Shōmyō Falls8.4 kmphoto by Saigen Jiro · CC0
Keyakidaira Station – Kurobe Gorge14.2 kmphoto by Yasu ( talk ) · CC BY-SA 3.0