徳本上人初行洞窟

Tokumoto Shonin’s First Cave

Useful Information

Location:	〒649-1441 Wakayama, Hidaka District, Hidakagawa, Sanya. (33.894441, 135.269110)
Open:	no restrictions. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	A=523 m asl.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Hidakagawa Town Planning and Policy Division, Yamano, Hidaka-gun, Hidaka-gawa-cho, Tel: +81-738-22-2041.
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History

Description

徳本上人初行洞窟 (Supreme Master Tokumoto's First Journey to the Cave) or simply Tokumoto Shonin’s First Cave is a small natural cave with some human alterations. According to local lore, Tokumoto Shonin undertook his first 30-day nembutsu training after becoming a monk at this cave. It is also known as Hidaka Fuji because it has a triangular shape which resembles mount Fuji.

To visit the cave start at the Otakigawa Forest Park car park, which is located at the road through the valley. From here it’s a short hike along the road to the rope bridge across the Egawa River. The follow the trail through the valley on the other side up to the cave. It’s a 20-minute hike through forest.

Tokuho said the Nembutsu prayer on his sister’s back at the age of 2 for the first time. At the age of 4, he felt the loss of his friend, who died, and became deeply devoted to Buddhism. At the age of 27, he was ordained as a monk at Ojoji Temple in Gobo City. He overcame unimaginable hardships, and eventually he began to make pilgrimages around the country. All the time he chanted prayers to save all living things. He underwent rigorous ascetic training, eating only firewood and water in the middle of winter, eating only a cup of beans and flour a day, and chanting the Nembutsu tens of thousands of times a day. He soon became quite popular. In 1812, he held a seven-day pilgrimage at Sojiji Temple in Wakayama. This attracted 20,000 pilgrims and 200 pilgrimage boats from Awa and Awaji.