Japan Heritage “Soto Monogatari (The Story of Mulberry City)” Promotion Council

Japan Heritage “Soto Monogatari (The Story of Mulberry City)” Promotion Council
Secretariat: 3-24-1 Motohongo-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo
Japan Heritage Promotion Division, Industrial Promotion Department, Hachioji City

©Japan Heritage “Soto Monogatari (The Story of Mulberry City)” Promotion Council

Japan Heritage Poster Answers

Poster Q&A

Did you know that Mount Takao has been cherished for over 1,000 years?

Answer

Centered around Takao-san Yakuo-in, founded over a thousand years ago, the area has long been a place of deep devotion for everyone from rulers to commoners, and its rich natural environment has been preserved. Today, it is highly regarded for its unspoiled natural beauty despite its proximity to the city center; it has earned three Michelin stars and attracts 3 million visitors annually.

Explanation

Mount Takao’s Yakuo-in Temple, said to have been founded over a thousand years ago, established Mount Takao as a place of worship under the principle of “no killing.”During the Warring States period, Hojo Ujiteru, lord of Hachioji Castle, prohibited the cutting of bamboo groves for strategic reasons, and during the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate confirmed the temple’s landholdings, all of which contributed to the preservation of the mountain.

Mount Takao, Yakuo-in Temple, Izanagi-gongen Hall

Documents of Yakuoin Temple on Mount Takao (Documents Issued by Hojo Ujiteru)

During the Edo period, people from Hachioji would climb Mount Takao to visit Yakuoin Temple to pray for protection from fire and good health. Furthermore, Takao-ko groups were formed in villages throughout the Kanto region specifically for the purpose of making pilgrimages to Mount Takao, making it a beloved object of worship for many common people.Furthermore, Yakuoin distributed amulets to protect silkworms from mice (silkworm protection amulets), garnering deep devotion from many sericulture farmers.

Furthermore, during the late Edo period, following the opening of the port of Yokohama, foreigners visited Hachioji to inspect the silk industry and often made a side trip to Mount Takao. Mount Takao also developed as a tourist destination during the tourism boom of the late Taisho and early Showa periods.

Since the Showa era, the area surrounding Mount Takao has been designated as a National Park and a Metropolitan Natural Park, and has been developed as a place where many people can enjoy nature.

In recent years, the mountain has been recognized for its rich natural environment, despite being just an hour’s drive from the city center, and was awarded three Michelin stars in 2007. Today, it attracts 3 million visitors annually from both Japan and abroad.