A Mountain Pass for Worshipping Mount Ishizuchi from Afar
The Hoshigamori (Yokomineji Temple Mount Ishizuchi Worship Site) (星ヶ森（横峰寺石鎚山遥拝所）) is a place for worshipping the sacred Mount Ishizuchi from afar, in the precinct of Yokomineji, Temple 60 of the Shikoku pilgrimage, in Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture, which in 2017 was designated a Place of Scenic Beauty.
The Ehime Prefectural Board of Education names Yokomineji as the owner. The temple stands about 750 metres up on the northern flank of the mountains leading to Ishizuchi, and Hoshigamori lies at the southwest edge of its precinct, on a saddle of the ridge at about 820 metres.
Across the valley cut by the Kamo River on Ishizuchi's north side, the ridge runs roughly parallel with the Ishizuchi range, giving a view of the peak looking from north to south.
Name and History
According to the board of education, the name Hoshigamori, star forest, comes from the tradition that Kukai performed a star offering here, a rite praying to the stars to avert disaster and bring fortune.
It is mentioned in a pilgrimage guide of 1687, suggesting an iron torii gate stood here by the early Edo period at the latest. Illustrated guides of 1800 and 1844 show a torii on the saddle facing Ishizuchi, labelled as a place to worship the mountain.
Why It Is a Place of Scenic Beauty
The board of education describes a level terrace built up with stonework, with the iron torii and a stone niche holding a seated figure of Kobo Daishi.
It values Hoshigamori as a famous spot since the Edo period, a distinctive viewpoint for worshipping Ishizuchi from the north, and an important place to appreciate fine scenery bound up with faith. The view of the mountain framed through the torii is the heart of the designation.
Visiting Hoshigamori
Hoshigamori is reached on foot from the Yokomineji precinct. The Shikoku regional development bureau's 88 Views of Shikoku guide says that from JR Iyo-Saijo Station you take a Setouchi bus to Yokomine Tozanguchi, change to the Yokomineji mountain bus to its terminus, and walk about 15 minutes to the temple. By car, the toll forest road from Hirano leads to a car park.
The same guide lists the temple as open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the temple's telephone is 0897-59-0142. Snow can close the road in winter, so check conditions before setting out.
Q&A
- When was Hoshigamori designated?
- It was designated a Place of Scenic Beauty on 13 October 2017.
- Where does the name Hoshigamori come from?
- From the tradition that Kukai performed a star offering rite here.
- What is at Hoshigamori?
- A stone-built terrace with an iron torii and a stone niche holding a seated figure of Kobo Daishi.
- How old is the torii at Hoshigamori?
- A pilgrimage guide of 1687 mentions it, so it stood here by the early Edo period at the latest.
- How do I get to Hoshigamori?
- Walk up from the Yokomineji precinct; the temple is reached by bus from JR Iyo-Saijo Station and a 15-minute walk from the last stop.
Basic Information
| Name | Hoshigamori (Yokomineji Temple Mount Ishizuchi Worship Site) (星ヶ森（横峰寺石鎚山遥拝所）) |
|---|---|
| Location | Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture |
| Designation | Place of Scenic Beauty |
| Year Designated | Designated 2017/10/13 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Dimensions | About 820 metres above sea level (ridge saddle) |
| Owner | Yokomineji Temple |
| Public Access | Reached on foot from the Yokomineji precinct |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Hoshigamori (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/401/00004003
- Ehime Prefecture: Hoshigamori (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.ehime.jp/ehimenotakara/465.html
- Ehime Prefectural Board of Education: Hoshigamori (Japanese)
- https://ehime-c.esnet.ed.jp/bunkazai/kennobunkazai/shiteibunkazai/meishou/pdf-files/kuni/4-2-10hoshigamori.pdf
- Shikoku Regional Development Bureau: 88 Views of Shikoku, Mount Ishizuchi (Japanese)
- https://www.skr.mlit.go.jp/kikaku/88-kei/scenery/63_ehime.html
Last verified: 2026.09.27