The spiritual heart of Daisen faith, reached via what is said to be Japan's longest natural-stone cobblestone approach, and a celebrated spot for autumn foliage.
Daisenji is an ancient Tendai Buddhist temple said to have been founded in 718 (Yōrō 2) by the monk Kinren. It flourished as the center of Daisen faith, and from the Heian period onward, under the fusion of Buddhism and Shinto, the mountain became a major center of Shugendo mountain asceticism with Mt. Daisen as its sacred object.
Deep along the approach to Daisenji stands Ōgamiyama Jinja Okumiya, a shrine enshrining the innermost precinct of Daisen worship. Its sanctuary is the largest example of gongen-zukuri (a traditional Japanese shrine architectural style) in Japan and is designated an Important Cultural Property. The roughly 700-meter natural-stone cobblestone path that runs from Daisenji Bridge to the inner shrine was laid during the Edo period and is considered the longest such cobblestone approach in Japan.
The surrounding forest of beech and oak creates a profoundly tranquil atmosphere, and in autumn vivid foliage colors the stone-paved path. Located within walking distance of the Daisenji bus stop, the site is also a popular complement to a Mt. Daisen hiking excursion.