Gassan Shrine (月山神社, ''Gassan jinja'') is a

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

shrine on Mount Gassan in

Yamagata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Yamagata Prefecture has a population of 1,079,950 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 9,325 km² (3,600 sq mi). Yamagata Prefecture borders Akita Prefecture to the nor ...

, Japan. It was formerly a national shrine of the first rank (国幣大社, ''kokuhei taisha'') in the

Modern system of ranked Shinto Shrines The was an organizational aspect of the establishment of Japanese State Shinto. This system classified Shinto shrines as either official government shrines or "other" shrines. The official shrines were divided into #Imperial shrines (''kampei ...

. The main

kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...

enshrined here is

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto , or simply or , is the moon god in Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion. The name "Tsukuyomi" is a compound of the Old Japanese words and . The '' Nihon Shoki'' mentions this name spelled as , but this ''yumi'' is likely a variation in ...

(月読命). It was established in 593. The shrine's main festival is held annually on August 14. Mount Gassan is the tallest of the

Three Mountains of Dewa The refer to the three sacred mountains of Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan and Mount Yudono, which are clustered together in the ancient province of Dewa (modern-day Yamagata Prefecture). Holy to the Japanese Shinto religion and especially the mou ...

and is famous for its natural scenery and beauty. It is home to many rare alpine plants and other marsh vegetation. The hiking path to the peak of Mt. Gassan is the second-highest point in the Shonai Region of Japan. However, due to heavy snowfall, the mountain is usually accessible only from late spring to early fall..Hori, Ichiro. (1966) ''Mountains and their importance for the idea of the other world in Japanese folk religion.'' History of Religions, 6(1), 1-23

External links

Dewa Sanzan official website
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References

Beppyo shrines Kanpei Taisha Shinto shrines in Yamagata Prefecture 6th-century establishments in Japan Religious buildings and structures completed in 593 Myōjin Taisha Mountain faith Three Mountains of Dewa Shugendō {{Shinto-stub

See also

External links