Mount Kurama

Mount Kurama
Mount Kurama
	Mount Kurama Kyoto, Japan
Highest point
Elevation	584 m (1,916 ft)
Prominence	44 m (144 ft)
Listing	List of mountains and hills of Japan by height
Coordinates	35°7′26″N 135°46′17″E
Naming
Native name	鞍馬山 (Japanese)
Geography
Location	Kyoto, Japan
Topo map	Geographical Survey Institute 25000:1 大原, 50000:1 京都及大阪

Mount Kurama (鞍馬山, Kurama-yama)[1] is a mountain to the north of the city of Kyoto. It is the birthplace of the Reiki practice, and is said to be the home of Sōjōbō, King of the Tengu.

Shrine at Kurama Temple

Main Gate of Kurama Temple

A close-up of the main gate of Kurama Temple

It was supposedly the Tengu who taught swordsmanship to Minamoto no Yoshitsune.[2]

Kurama is also the location of the annual Kurama Fire Festival (鞍馬の火祭り, Kurama no Hi-matsuri), which takes place every October. Kurama-dera (鞍馬寺) is now designated as a national treasure of Japan.

The philosopher Hayashi Razan lists one of the three greatest of the daitengu as Sōjōbō of Mount Kurama.[3] The demons of Kurama and Atago are among the most famous tengu.[4]

Notes

The mountain is also known as the birthplace of the holistic healing art called Reiki. In 1922 the founder of Reiki, Mikao Usui, meditated for 21 days on this mountain and received the Reiki healing energy an became an enlightened person and thus also true insight into the wisdom of life. Mikao Usui meditated near the top of the mountain at a site called Osugi Gongen, at the site of a great sacred tree (kami) said to be an incarnation of the god Maoson.[5]

References

"Gazetteer of Japan 2007" (PDF). Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. 2007. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
Turnbull, Stephen (1977). The Samurai, A Military History. MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 61. ISBN 0026205408.
de Visser, M. W. (1908). "The Tengu". Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan. ZP Maruya & Co. 34 (2): 71.
Mizuki, Shigeru (2001). Mizuki Shigeru No Nihon Yōkai Meguri. Japan: JTB. pp. 122–123. ISBN 4-533-03956-1.
Miller, Jessica A. (May 2007). Reiki's Birthplace: A Guide to Kurama Mountain. Infinite Light Healing Studies Cente. ISBN 9780967872148.

Geographical Survey Institute

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[gazeteer_2007-1] "Gazetteer of Japan 2007" (PDF). Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. 2007. Retrieved April 10, 2017.

[Turnbull_1977-2] Turnbull, Stephen (1977). The Samurai, A Military History. MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 61. ISBN 0026205408.

[de_visser_1908-3] Visser, M. W. (1908). "The Tengu". Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan. ZP Maruya & Co. 34 (2): 71.

[mizuki_2001-4] Mizuki, Shigeru (2001). Mizuki Shigeru No Nihon Yōkai Meguri. Japan: JTB. pp. 122–123. ISBN 4-533-03956-1.

[miller_2007-5] Miller, Jessica A. (May 2007). Reiki's Birthplace: A Guide to Kurama Mountain. Infinite Light Healing Studies Cente. ISBN 9780967872148.