Inunakisan Shippo Ryuji

Temple · Osaka

Ichijo Reishogatake

Protection & Safety

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In short

Founded in 661 by En no Gyoja at the age of twenty-eight, on a mountain an emperor renamed for a dog that died saving its master.

A cascade on Mount Inunaki. — 河川一等兵 / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Quick facts

Address: 8 Oki, Izumisano, Osaka
Spiritual entities: Fudō Myōō (不動明王)

About this place

Inunakisan Shippo Ryuji is in Izumisano, Osaka. It was founded in 661, the seventh year of Empress Saimei, by En no Gyoja, the founder of Shugendo, when he was twenty-eight. At the opening of the mountain, it is transmitted, Kurikara the great dragon Fudo Myoo appeared and was taken as the principal image. The mountain’s name comes from the legend of a beloved dog that died saving a hunter from a snake: Emperor Uda praised it as "a righteous dog who repaid a debt", and changed the name Ichijo Reishogatake, granting by decree the name Inunakiyama — the mountain of the dog’s cry. Kobo Daishi is also said to have practised here and to have enshrined the seven deities of fortune at the seven cascades within the mountain. The whole of the mountain serves as a great training ground, and the esoteric rites for the peace of the realm, abundant harvests and the ease of all people are performed here.

Origin and history

The temple was founded in 661, the seventh year of Empress Saimei, by En no Gyoja, founder of Shugendo, when he was twenty-eight. At the opening of the mountain, it is transmitted, Kurikara the great dragon Fudo Myoo appeared and was taken as the principal image.

The mountain’s name comes from the legend of a beloved dog that died saving a hunter from a snake. Emperor Uda praised it as "a righteous dog who repaid a debt", and changed the name Ichijo Reishogatake, granting by decree the name Inunakiyama.

Kobo Daishi is also said to have practised here and to have enshrined the seven deities of fortune at the seven cascades within the mountain. The whole of the mountain serves as a great training ground, and the esoteric rites for the peace of the realm, abundant harvests and the ease of all people are performed here.

What it is locally associated with

Origin
A mountain named for a dog
Emperor Uda praised the dog that died saving a hunter from a snake as one who repaid a debt, and granted by decree the name Inunakiyama in place of Ichijo Reishogatake.
folk tradition
Origin
661, and the founder was twenty-eight
Founded in 661 by En no Gyoja, founder of Shugendo, at the age of twenty-eight; Kurikara the great dragon Fudo Myoo appeared at the opening and became the principal image.
folk tradition
Power spotProtection & Safety
Peace of the realm, harvest, ease of all
The esoteric rites for the peace of the realm, abundant harvests and the ease of all people are performed here.
documented history
What people do here
Seven cascades, and a mountain for a hall
Kobo Daishi is said to have enshrined the seven deities of fortune at the seven cascades, and the whole mountain serves as a great training ground.
folk tradition

This mountain’s name belongs to a dog. There is a legend of a beloved dog that died saving a hunter from a snake, and Emperor Uda praised it as a righteous dog who repaid a debt, changed the old name Ichijo Reishogatake, and granted by decree the name Inunakiyama. An emperor rewrote the name of a mountain for one animal.

The founding is early, and it carries an age. The seventh year of Empress Saimei, 661, when En no Gyoja — the founder of Shugendo — was twenty-eight. At the opening, Kurikara the great dragon Fudo Myoo appeared, and was taken as the principal image.

There are seven waters. Kobo Daishi is said to have practised here too, and to have enshrined the seven deities of fortune at the seven cascades: one deity to each fall. And the whole mountain is the training ground — the practice is not confined to a hall.

What is performed here are the esoteric rites for the peace of the realm, abundant harvests, and the ease of all people.

Claims and evidence levels 3

The temple was founded in 661 by En no Gyoja at the age of twenty-eight, and Kurikara the great dragon Fudo Myoo appeared at the opening to become its principal image. folk tradition
Emperor Uda praised a dog that died saving a hunter from a snake and granted by decree the mountain name Inunakiyama in place of Ichijo Reishogatake. folk tradition
The whole mountain serves as a training ground, and esoteric rites for the peace of the realm, abundant harvests and the ease of all people are performed here. documented history

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