Sightseeing in Isehara: Rain Mountain Faith, Old Temples and Dokan’s Footprints

What Kind of Town Is Isehara?

Isehara sits almost exactly in the middle of Kanagawa Prefecture, and the prefecture’s geographic center is said to lie in Ishida within the city. At the northwestern edge rises Mount Oyama, which has drawn worshippers since ancient times and serves as the city’s symbol. The city center lies on an alluvial fan formed by sediment carried down from Oyama, and Isehara became a city in March 1971. The name is said to come from Soemon and others, who came from Yamada in Ise in the early Edo period and cleared this land.

This article introduces the sights in order of latitude, from north to south. We start with Oyama, the “Rain-Falling Mountain,” then head south through an old Yakushi (Medicine Buddha) sacred site, Oyama Fudo, a temple connected with a warrior of the eve of the Sengoku era, an ancient shrine of Sagami Province and finally the shrine behind the town’s name. The pilgrimage road of “Oyama-mairi,” which Edo commoners walked in long lines, was certified as Japan Heritage in 2016. Along with its tourist face, take a look at the history of prayer that lies beneath.

1. Mount Oyama and Oyama Afuri Shrine (大山と大山阿夫利神社)

Mount Oyama is a 1,252-meter mountain straddling Isehara, Hadano and Atsugi, included in Tanzawa-Oyama Quasi-National Park. Its neat triangular shape stands out from afar and has long been an object of worship. The main shrine of Oyama Afuri Shrine stands at the summit, with the lower shrine halfway up the mountain, which can be reached by the Oyama Cable Car.

Its other name, Afuri-yama (Rain-Falling Mountain), comes from the way clouds and mist readily gather above it, so that it was thought to bring rain. As a god of rain-making, it won the deep devotion of farmers. From the mid-Edo period onward, the preaching of men called oshi led to the founding of Oyama confraternities (Oyama-ko) in many regions, and common people set out on summer pilgrimages. The route involved purifying oneself at a waterfall, climbing to the summit to dedicate a wooden sword, then receiving a new one to carry home, and in those days the pilgrimage was closed to women. A “double pilgrimage” to both Mount Fuji and Oyama was also popular.

In the Meiji era the waves of the separation of Shinto and Buddhism and the anti-Buddhist movement struck, and Oyama-dera, which had flourished in the age of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism, was badly hurt. The shrine’s name also reverted to the older Afuri Shrine. Belief in tengu goblins is also passed down on the mountain, and until the Edo period the auxiliary shrine at the summit enshrined the great tengu and the lesser tengu. This is our conjecture, but for Edo commoners Oyama was probably a sacred mountain close at hand, a destination for a small trip combining faith and leisure. Because this is an active shrine, please spend your visit quietly.

2. Hinata Yakushi (Hojobo) (日向薬師・宝城坊)

Hinata Yakushi is a Koyasan Shingon-sect temple in Hinata, Isehara, formally named Hojobo. It was once called Hinatayama Ryozenji and was a large temple with a dozen or more subtemples, but it lost many buildings in the anti-Buddhist movement of the early Meiji era, and today Hojobo, formerly the head subtemple (bettobo), carries on the temple’s registry. Its principal image is a Yakushi triad said to date from the early Heian period, carved in the “natabori” (hatchet-carved) technique that leaves the marks of the chisel visible.

Temple tradition holds that it was founded by Gyoki in 716. However, no remains of a temple going back to the Nara period have been found on the grounds, and the actual founding is thought to be around the 10th century. A history book of the Kamakura period records that sutras were chanted here to pray for the safe childbirth of Hojo Masako, wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo, and that Yoritomo himself visited to pray for the recovery of his daughter Ohime from illness.

The present main hall is a thatched building repaired in 1660 in the Edo period, and is an Important Cultural Property. On the grounds stands the Hatakake Cedar, said to be about 800 years old, designated a prefectural natural monument. The temple still draws worshippers as a Yakushi said to be effective for eye ailments, and the surrounding forest has been developed as walking paths. As this is an active temple, please be considerate when you visit. In this site’s view, an old thatched hall and great trees survive so close to the city because the life of the foothill villages has continued to support the temple.

3. Sekiun-ji Temple (石雲寺)

Sekiun-ji is a Soto Zen temple in the Hinata district. Tradition says it was founded in 718 by the priest Kegon Myozui. Hearing in this land a tale that Prince Otomo, defeated in the Jinshin War, had fled here, the priest is said to have built the temple to pray for the prince’s repose.

There is no firm historical proof that the prince ever came to Isehara. Even so, it is an interesting fact that people in the mountains of faraway Sagami have kept telling of the end of a man who lived at court as a son of Emperor Tenji. The temple was originally of the Hosso sect, but it is said that Tenkei Soon revived it in the late 15th century and converted it to Soto.

The temple preserves a seal-stamped document of Hojo Genan from the Sengoku period, designated a city cultural property. This is our conjecture, but perhaps the story of the defeated prince took root here because mountain villagers have treasured remembrance of those left out of the victors’ history. It is not a large tourist site, so please take care not to disturb the quiet when you visit.

4. Oyama-dera (Oyama Fudo) (大山寺・大山不動)

Oyama-dera is a temple of the Shingon Daikakuji school, also known by the name “Oyama Fudo.” Its principal image is Fudo Myoo, and it is sometimes counted among the “Three Great Fudo of the Kanto” along with Takahata Fudo (Kongo-ji) and Naritasan Shinsho-ji. The “Oyama-dera Engi” records that Roben, the first chief priest of Todai-ji, founded it in 755 as an imperially sponsored temple of Emperor Shomu.

In the Kamakura period, the Kasuya clan became vassals of Minamoto no Yoritomo, and the temple received the protection of the Kamakura shogunate. A record shows that in 1192 Yoritomo, praying for Masako’s safe childbirth, offered sacred horses to temples and shrines in Sagami Province. The iron statue of Fudo Myoo at Oyama-dera, said to have been made by Kangyobo Kensei of the Kamakura period after prayers against the Mongol invasion, is designated an Important Cultural Property.

In the Edo period Oyama thrived as a sightseeing destination near Edo, which was depicted in the rakugo story “Oyama-mairi.” In the anti-Buddhist movement of the Meiji era Oyama-dera too was badly hit, and it was later rebuilt after being moved partway along what used to be the Onna-zaka (women’s slope). Even after its place of worship was moved, the statue of Fudo Myoo and the prayers were kept safe, and in that one senses the tenacity of this temple. As this is an active temple, please be considerate when you visit.

5. Doshoin and the Grave of Ota Dokan (洞昌院と太田道灌の墓)

Doshoin is a Soto Zen temple in Kamikasuya, where a hokyoin pagoda said to be the grave of Ota Dokan stands on the west side of the grounds. The grave is designated a historic site of Isehara. The temple is said to have been founded with Dokan as its patron, in the year after he built Edo Castle. Dokan is said to have been not only a warrior but a man of deep faith.

On July 26, 1486, at the age of 55, Dokan was assassinated after being caught up in an internal dispute of the Uesugi clan. The place of the attack is said to have been the Kasuya mansion in the city. After his death, he was cremated on the hill behind Doshoin, and a tradition says his body was buried here and his head at Daiji-ji in Shimo-Kasuya. Every year on July 26 a memorial service for Dokan is held by his descendants.

Doshoin has a tradition that the temple’s mountain gate must never be fitted with doors. West of the grave there is said to have been the “Seven Mounds,” where retainers who followed Dokan were buried, and now only one remains. In this site’s view, a gate with no doors and the mounds of retainers sleeping beside their lord may be the forms local people chose so that the memory of the tragedy would never fade. As this is a burial ground, please visit in the spirit of quietly pressing your hands together in prayer.

6. Hiita Shrine (比々多神社)

Hiita Shrine, in Sannomiya, Isehara, is one of the oldest shrines of the former Sagami Province, and the place name “Sannomiya” itself comes from it. It is counted as one of the Sagami shikinai-sha, shrines listed in the Engishiki Jinmyocho compiled in 927, and is one of the Sagami Gosha (“Five Shrines of Sagami”) that take part in the Kokufu Festival held every May 5 in Oiso, serving as the province’s third shrine (sannomiya).

Excavations in and near the grounds have found a ring-shaped arrangement of stones from the middle Jomon period with a standing stone inside. Since this is presumed to be a ritual site, the shrine itself says its origins may go back to a primal mountain worship of the Jomon era. Because it stands at the southeastern foot of Oyama, some also think it may first have been a place from which to worship Oyama from afar.

In 1184 Minamoto no Yoritomo carried out a large-scale reconstruction of the shrine buildings, and in 1192 sacred horses were offered here to pray for Masako’s safe childbirth. The faith centered on Oyama has been supported by both warrior families and commoners. Together with Oyama Afuri Shrine, Oyama-dera and Hinata Yakushi, the shrine is counted among the component cultural properties of the Japan Heritage designation. Because this is an active shrine, please visit quietly.

7. Isehara Daijingu Shrine (伊勢原大神宮)

Isehara Daijingu stands in a residential area about a 10-minute walk northwest of Isehara Station. It is a place tied to the origin of the city’s name: in 1620, Yamada Soemon from Ise, who opened up this land, and Yuasa Seizaemon from Kamakura are said to have founded it by bringing deities from the Ise Grand Shrine.

It enshrines Amaterasu Omikami in the inner shrine and Toyouke-hime no Okami in the outer shrine, the same arrangement as at Ise Grand Shrine. The shrine’s founding shows people clearing new land transplanting the faith of their home and making it a spiritual anchor. The character for “Ise” in the town’s name is the result of the pioneers’ memory of their homeland being engraved in the place name.

Seasonal events are held throughout the year, such as the annual festival in September and the chinowa (cogon-reed ring) purification ritual at the end of June. It is not a place advertised widely as a tourist attraction, but this is our conjecture: perhaps the shrine quietly supports the local history as a modest record of the land-clearing that began some 400 years ago. Because this is an active shrine, please be considerate as a worshipper when you stroll here.

Local Specialties: Food and Drink

Isehara’s best-known specialty is the Oyama koma (spinning top). It is a local folk toy that became known from the middle of the Edo period as a souvenir for pilgrims to Oyama Afuri Shrine, turned on a lathe from woods that grow on Oyama, such as dogwood (mizuki). Because it spins well, it was linked to the lucky saying that “money luck keeps spinning your way,” and became popular. It appears in a picture book of 1773, showing it was already a specialty at that time.

The craft of making Oyama koma was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Isehara in 2017 and selected as a national Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2023. The woodturners who make the tops are said to have moved to Isehara more than 300 years ago by way of Hayakawa in what is now Odawara. One might say that the pilgrimage drew new craftsmen to the land.

Oyama manju is also known as a souvenir of the Oyama pilgrimage. Farming in the city, such as rice growing, fruit growing and dairy farming, is also said to be fairly active within Kanagawa Prefecture. Two faces, the temple-gate town on the pilgrimage road and the farming of the plain, shape Isehara’s food and souvenirs.

Rare Wildlife and Nature

Oyama is a mountain with many cloudy and rainy days, because moist wind blowing in from Sagami Bay to the south builds up clouds as it hits the mountain. The alternate name Afuri-yama probably rests on this lived sense of the weather. Because the city center is on a plain, it is said that it can be raining in Isehara while Tokyo is clear.

In the grounds of Hinata Yakushi, besides the Hatakake Cedar, natural woods of zelkova and Japanese bay tree (tabunoki) remain, designated a prefectural natural monument. The surrounding forest is conserved as “Hinata Yakushi no Mori” with walking trails. It is an example of temple faith having protected a forest in the heavily urbanized Kanto region.

The Isehara Fault that runs through the city also tells of how this land was formed. The fact that the urban area is built on an alluvial fan formed from sediment carried down from Oyama can be seen even on a map. The terrain, with mountains and plain close together, has supported both faith and daily life.

Other Notable Things About This Town

Every year in early October the Isehara Kanko Dokan Festival is held. It is the city’s largest event, featuring a procession recreating Ota Dokan’s falconry, a procession recreating Hojo Masako’s visit to Hinata Yakushi, and a citywide dance. It is distinctive for calling historical figures back into the present as a local festival.

Many of the city’s national and prefectural roads are based on the Edo-period Oyama roads. Roads leading to Oyama from many directions, including Edo, Totsuka, Enoshima, Hiratsuka, Hachioji and Koshu, became the skeleton of today’s road network. One might say the Oyama pilgrimage even determined the shape of the area’s traffic.

In 1929 the Odakyu Odawara Line opened and Isehara Station was built, making it easier for pilgrims to come from the Tokyo side. Housing development followed, and from the end of the 1960s the city grew as a bedroom suburb of Tokyo. It formed a sister-city partnership with Chino in Nagano Prefecture in 1986.

The Night Side: Ghost Stories and Haunted Spots of This Town

So far we have walked through Isehara’s daytime face: a mountain that brings rain, a sacred Yakushi site, a warrior’s burial place and ancient shrines. Every one of these places carries layers of time in which people prayed, mourned and cleared the land.

That depth connects to the town’s night side as well. Isehara preserves traditions about a warrior’s final moments and belief in tengu, but these have been handed down as the memory of the land and are not places to visit out of idle curiosity. In this site’s view, a ghost story is a kind of shadow that a place’s history and people’s feelings cast into the dark of night.

At KARASU CHANNEL we record true ghost stories and haunted spots not so that people will go there, but so that they are remembered. Having come to know the daytime scenery, we hope you will also read the stories of the night.

Before You Go

Opening hours, fees, closing days and access change often, so they are not listed in this article. Before you set out, please check the latest information on each facility’s or local government’s official site. Some places may be restricted because of weather or disaster.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. In what order should I visit the sights in Isehara?

A. This article introduces them from north to south. Oyama and Hinata Yakushi lie along the mountains, while Doshoin, Hiita Shrine and Isehara Daijingu are closer to the urban area. The mountain spots are far apart, so please check transport and timing with official information from the city or the tourist association.

Q. Can a beginner climb Mount Oyama?

A. You can go up to the lower shrine by the Oyama Cable Car, but reaching the summit is a climb. You need a plan suited to the weather, your fitness and your equipment. Please check the latest trail conditions in official guides.

Q. What are the local specialties and souvenirs?

A. Oyama koma and Oyama manju are known. Offerings vary by shop, so please check the latest information before you go.

Official sites and references consulted
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/伊勢原市
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/大山_(神奈川県)
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/大山阿夫利神社
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/大山寺_(伊勢原市)
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/日向薬師
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/石雲寺_(伊勢原市)
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/洞昌院_(伊勢原市)
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/比々多神社
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/伊勢原大神宮
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/大山こま