S P O T ／ SPOT-202
Mitoku-san Sanbutsu-ji Temple and the Nageiredo (Thrown-in Hall)
三徳山三佛寺・投入堂みとくさんさんぶつじ・なげいれどう
An ancient Tendai-sect temple on Mt Mitoku (900 m above sea level) in Misasa Town, Tottori Prefecture, whose Nageiredo — a National Treasure hall embedded in a sheer cliff cave — is described as 'the most dangerous National Treasure in Japan.' The founding of the site is attributed to En-no-Gyoja in the third year of Keiun (706 CE), and the Nageiredo is considered to date from the Heian period; the mechanism by which it was constructed in the cliff cavity remains unexplained by modern scholarship. Visiting the inner shrine requires a mountain ascent of approximately 700 metres — clambering over tree roots and bare rock — typically taking about one hour, constituting an experiential form of the traditional 'peak-entry' (mine-iri) ascetic practice. The Monju-do and Jizo-do (Azuchi-Momoyama to Muromachi period Important Cultural Properties) stand on vertiginous platforms (butai-zukuri construction) offering panoramic mountain views below.
H I G H L I G H T S
Highlights
- 01National Treasure Nageiredo: a Heian-period structure embedded within a vertical cliff cave — the method of its construction remains unexplained by modern engineering analysis
- 02Ascent to the inner shrine: approximately 700 metres of climbing over tree roots and bare rock, taking about one hour — an experiential form of traditional peak-entry ascetic practice
- 03Monju-do and Jizo-do (Important Cultural Properties, Azuchi-Momoyama to Muromachi period): vertiginous platform-construction halls with panoramic mountain views below
A C C E S S ／ M E T A
Essentials
- Location
- Tottori Prefecture Misasa Town, Tohaku District
- Address
- 〒682-0132 鳥取県東伯郡三朝町三徳1010
- Fee
- 大人1,200円（入山志納金400円＋投入堂参拝登山料800円）、小人600円。本堂まで（遙拝）のみは大人400円
- Hours
- 8:00〜17:00（投入堂参拝登山受付は8:00〜15:00、最終下山16:30）
- Status
- 入山制限あり（冬季閉山・天候不良時閉山・2名以上・靴装備チェック）
- Official
- https://www.mitokusan.jp
D E E P D I V E