Fire Ritual & Shojin Ryori Temple Tour on Mt. Takao in Tokyo
Overview
At Tokyo's famous Mt. Takao, get a look into Japanese Buddhism by observing a ‘goma’ fire ritual and enjoying an exquisite ‘shojin-ryori’ meal, prepared and arranged in a way that reflects the Buddhist ideal of honoring life and nature.
Highlights
- Observe a Japanese Buddhist fire ritual called ‘goma’
- Be mesmerized by the sacred fire and the priest’s chanting during goma
- Take home ‘gomafuda,’ wooden tablets for good luck
- Enjoy ‘shojin-ryori,’ a Buddhist vegetarian meal
- Tour the grounds of a important historical temple over 1,200 years old
Key Information
Important Information
• Cable car tickets are not included. Please buy tickets on-site on the day of your activity Activity Rules:
- Participants must be aged 7 or above
- If you are allergic to soba, soybean, and/or flour, please do not participate; we cannot accommodate any allergies
- Please wear comfortable shoes
Booking (4 steps)
Duration
Included
• English-speaking guide • Goma fire ritual experience • Gomafuda wooden tablets • Shojin-ryori (Buddhist vegetarian meal)
- You will be served shojin-ryori, a Buddhist vegetarian course meal. Dishes served vary depending on the season and other factors
Not Included
• Round-trip tickets for the Takao Tozan cable car
What to Bring
• Your Rakuten Travel Experiences confirmation email, subject: Booking Confirmed!
Meeting Point
• Meet at Takaosanguchi Station on the Keio Line. Takaosanguchi Station is 50 minutes from Shinjuku Station
Venue Address
Mt. Takao, Hachioji City, Tokyo, Japan
Schedule
- This tour lasts about 4 hours and 15 minutes, and roughly follows this itinerary:
09:45 — Meet at Takaosanguchi Station; head to cable car station 10:00 — Ride cable car up Mt. Takao 10:15 — Walk to Yakuo-in 11:00 — Goma fire ritual 11:45 — Tour Yakuo-in 12:30 — Enjoy shojin-ryori Buddhist vegetarian meal 13:30 — Free time; buy charms and take photos 13:45 — Leave Yakuo-in, then walk back to cable car Takaosan Station 14:00 — Tour ends at Takaosan Station
Provided by
髙尾山薬王院
Description
Mt. Takao is a popular day-trip destination for Tokyoites, great not only for hiking, but also for getting a closer look into Japanese culture.
Meet your guide at Takaosanguchi Station, then take a cable car up Mt. Takao. You’ll alight near the summit and walk to Yakuo-in, a Shingon Buddhist temple, where you’ll observe ‘goma,’ a fire ritual presided over by a priest.
During the ritual, the priest will cast your prayer sticks into a fire, so that everyone’s prayers are purified and lifted to the heavens. This fire ritual is an intimate look into Japanese spirituality — participating in it is a rare opportunity, even for Japanese!
After the goma ritual, you’ll receive lucky souvenirs: ‘gomafuda,’ wooden tablets that are considered to be embodiments of Izuna Daigongen, the principal deity enshrined at Yakuo-in. Then, your guide will tour you around the temple, and give you insight on the best ways to spend your time in the area.
Yakuo-in was founded in 744 on imperial orders, as a base for Buddhism in eastern Japan. Today it is one of the three head temples of a Shingon Buddhist sect called Chisan-ha, and is the central training center in the Kanto region for Shugendo ascetic practice.
Afterward, you’ll have lunch in a tatami room — you’ll be served a shojin-ryori course meal. ‘Shojin-ryori’ is Japanese-style Buddhist vegetarian cuisine; it reflects the Buddhist ideal that life should be venerated, and that nature should be used in ways that bring out its bounty and beauty.
After lunch, you’ll have some free time. Buy charms and souvenirs if you like, and take photos! Then, walk back to the cable car Takaosan Station, where your tour ends.
This only-in-Japan experience is a perfect way to be introduced to Japanese culture!