A National Treasure hall clinging to a sheer cliff face—said to be Japan's most dangerous National Treasure pilgrimage.
The Nageiredō Hall of Sanbutsuji Temple on Mt. Mitoku is a National Treasure located on Mt. Mitoku (approximately 900 m above sea level) in Misasa Town, Tottori Prefecture. Built into a hollow in a near-vertical cliff face, it is an architectural marvel unlike any other; it is said that the noted photographer Domon Ken once called it 'the finest building in Japan.' Dendrochronological analysis has confirmed that it was built in the late Heian period (11th–12th century).
According to temple tradition, the hall's name—Nageiredō, meaning 'thrown-in hall'—comes from the story that En no Gyōja (a legendary ascetic) shrank the hall with his spiritual powers and hurled it into the cliff. It is also said that the temple complex was established by the Buddhist monk Jikaku Daishi in 849 (Kajō 2), when it was given the name 'Sanbutsuji.' The mountain has long been venerated as a sacred site of Shugendo mountain asceticism, and reaching the hall requires climbing a genuine mountain trail with chain sections and rock faces.
Pilgrimage requires parties of two or more; proper hiking shoes and a ceremonial stole (wa-kesa) must be worn. The reception desk is open from 8:00 to 15:00, with a descent deadline of 16:30. Dubbed 'Japan's most dangerous National Treasure pilgrimage,' the experience leaves a profound impression on worshippers and trekkers who travel from across the country.