Mount Togakushi

A mountain in the Togakushi district of Nagano City, in northern Nagano Prefecture, near the Niigata Prefecture border. It is 1,904 meters above sea level. It is the main peak of the Togakushi mountain range, and Mt. Togakushi and Mt. Nishidake (2,030 meters) to the southwest are called the front mountains of the Togakushi mountain range, while Mt. Gojizo (1,998 meters), Mt. Takatsuma (2,353 meters), and Mt. Ototsuma (2,318 meters), which are connected to the north of Mt. Togakushi, are called the back mountains. Mt. Togakushi, which is made of tuff agglomerate, has a steep cliff and a sawtooth ridge when viewed from the east. It is a sacred place where Shinto and Buddhism are intermingled, originating from mountain worship, and has been known as a training ground for mountain ascetics since the Heian period. Togakushi Shrine Okusha is located just southeast of the summit, while Nakasha and Hōkōsha are located at the foot of the mountain. The place name Togakushi is said to have originated from the legend of Ame-no-Iwato, when a rock door thrown by Ame-no-Tajikarao-no-Mikoto, one of the deities enshrined at Togakushi Shrine, flew to this area. It takes about two hours from Togakushi Okusha to Happōniramī, the heart of Mt. Togakushi, but it is dangerous due to difficult sections such as the Arinoto Crossing and the Kennoha Crossing. From Happōniramī, there is a wonderful view of the Northern Alps and other sights. It is part of Myoko-Togakushi Renzan National Park.

[Hiroyoshi Kobayashi]

"The Legend of the Sacred Mountain Iizuna-san and Togakushi-san, by Komyo-in Togakushi (1968, Togakushi Village)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長野県北部、新潟県境に近い長野市戸隠地区にある山。標高1904メートル。戸隠連峰の主峰で、戸隠山と南西方の西岳（2030メートル）を戸隠連峰の表山といい、戸隠山の北部に連なる五地蔵(ごじぞう)山（1998メートル）、高妻(たかつま)山（2353メートル）、乙妻(おとつま)山（2318メートル）を裏山とよんでいる。凝灰岩質集塊岩からなる戸隠山の山容は東側からみると、絶壁の急崖(きゅうがい)で山稜(さんりょう)は鋸歯(きょし)状をなしている。山岳信仰に発した神仏混交の霊場で、平安時代から山伏の修験場(しゅげんじょう)として知られた。山頂直下南東方に戸隠神社奥社があり、山麓(さんろく)に中社と宝光社がある。戸隠という地名は天岩戸(あめのいわと)伝説にちなみ、戸隠神社の祭神の一つ、天手力男命(あめのたぢからおのみこと)が投げた岩戸がこの地に飛んできたことから生じたといわれる。戸隠山の中心である八方睨(はっぽうにらみ)へは戸隠奥社から約2時間の行程であるが、蟻ノ戸(ありのと)渡り、剣ノ刃渡りなどの難所があって危険を伴う。八方睨からは北アルプスなどの展望がすばらしい。妙高戸隠連山国立公園の一部。

［小林寛義］

『戸隠公明院著『霊峰飯綱山戸隠山縁起』（1968・戸隠村）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例