Atagoyama Shrine

Mount Atago rises to 924 metres on the border between Yamashiro and Tanba. Several trails climb it — the Tanbaguchi route from Shikimigahara, the Tsukinowa-dera path, the Mizuo path — but most walkers take the main approach from Kiyotaki, a climb of roughly two to three hours. At the summit stands Atago Shrine, known affectionately for centuries simply as Atago-san. It traces its founding to the Taiho era (701–704), when En no Ozunu and Taicho built a shrine here. Because Kagutsuchi, child of the enshrined deity Izanami, is the god of fire, the shrine has long been venerated for protection against fire. The Sennichi-mairi, held from the evening of 31 July into the small hours of 1 August, is famed for granting the merit of a thousand days' worship in one visit.