Mt. Oyama in the Tanzawa Mountains of Kanagawa Prefecture has long been regarded as a sacred mountain. Also known as "Rainfall Mountain" for the amount of precipitation it receives, farmers came here to pray for abundant rain and a good harvest. Fishermen at sea used it as a landmark for navigation and also worshipped it. Eventually, people from all over Japan started to come to pray for success in business. By the 18th and 19th centuries, throngs of people flocked to Mt. Oyama, many from Edo (present-day Tokyo). At its peak, the number of worshippers per year reached 200,000 - about a fifth of Edo's population.
There were several reasons for this boom in popularity. One was the emergence of oshi, religious people who traveled around the country to encourage people to go on pilgrimages and ran shukubo lodgings that specifically served the needs of pilgrims. Another was purely the people's growing interest in travel. The route to Mt. Oyama did not require official approval, unlike many other routes at the time, and the mountain's proximity to Edo made it possible to complete the pilgrimage at a leisurely pace in three to four days. People organized themselves into groups and traveled together on foot, visiting other sightseeing spots along the way. The pilgrimage was depicted in popular culture at the time - ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), kabuki, and rakugo (comic storytelling) - which further piqued interest.
It was said that in the olden days, samurai generals offered swords to the deities of Mt. Oyama for good fortune in battle. Following this tradition, pilgrimage groups would carry wooden swords all the way from Edo as offerings. Some swords were as long as seven meters, reflecting how excited people were to make this special pilgrimage.
Visitors to the area today will find much to enjoy, including culinary pleasures such as tofu dishes made with Mt. Oyama spring water, stalks of butterbur boiled in soy sauce and local liquors. Savor the atmosphere of past eras by staying in shukubo lodgings or strolling along the picturesque sando paths that lead to shrines.
Mt. Oyama's historical attractions are located over a conveniently compact area, and it's an especially popular travel destination when its autumn leaves are illuminated.