In Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture, Mt. Horaiji and Yuya Onsen are known to many as “power spots,” spiritual places of health and healing.
Read on for a trip that takes you to power spots in the middle of nature.

Mt. Horaiji

Midway up the sacred mountain is the ancient Horaiji Temple, founded around 1,300 years ago by the legendary mountain monk Rishu.

Horaiji Temple

Founded by Rishu and revered as a sacred mountain, Horaiji Temple is the head temple of the Gochi group, part of the Shingon sect of Buddhism with the statue of Yakushi Nyorai as the principal object of worship.
Widely known from ancient times as “a place where fishing and hunting are prohibited,” after the temple was established it was patronized by Emperor Monmu, the third Tokugawa shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604-1651) and other influential people over a period of about 1,300 years. Haiku poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) and many other representative figures of Japanese culture are also recorded to have visited the temple.

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Horaisan Toshogu Shrine

Yuya Onsen

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Taste Japanese Sake Houraisen at Yuya Onsen

At Yuya Onsen’s ryokans, you can taste Japanese sake brand Houraisen from Sekiya Brewery Co., Ltd., a well-loved and long-established sake brewery in Okumikawa.

Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tora Doji Omamori (Souvenir)

Souvenirs

Gourmet

When visiting Mt. Horaiji, one local specialty you’ll want to try is “gohei-mochi.”
Gohei-mochi is crushed rice on a stick that is then covered in miso or soy sauce and grilled. This traditional, regional cuisine of Okumikawa has a savory, sweet taste with a delightful aroma.
Try it at Okame Chaya or Restaurant Kasasugi along the temple’s approach on Mt. Horaiji or at Inaka Chaya Matsuya in the vicinity of Yuya Onsen Station.