Mount Matsuo

{{Short description|Mountain in Hyogo prefecture, Japan}}

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Mount Matsuo

| other_name = 松尾山

| photo = Mount Matsuo.jpg

| photo_caption = A View of Mt. Matsuo from Mount Shirakami

| elevation_m = 687

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| language = Japanese

| pronunciation = {{IPA|ja|matsɯ.o|}}

| location = Sasayama, Hyōgo, Japan

| range = Tamba Highland

| coordinates = {{coord|35|2|N|135|8|E|type:mountain}}

| topo =

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{{nihongo|Mount Matsuo|松尾山| Matsuo-yama}} is a {{Convert|687|m|ft|adj=mid|-high|0}} mountain in Sasayama, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Another name is Mount Kosen-ji, literally, "Mountain of Kosen-ji."

Religion and History

Mount Matsuo is one of the major objects of worships for the people in this area. On this mountain, a Buddhist temple named ‘Kosen-ji’ was established in 645 by Hodo Sennin. This temple was re-established by Denkyo Taishi in the 9th century. The temple was burned by Akechi Mitsuhide in the 16th century, but re-established again by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In the Edo period, it is said that there were 28 monk houses in the mountain. Kosen-ji was also destroyed as a result of the Shinbutsu bunri, literally, Shinto-Buddhism-separation.

Sakai Castle once stood on the top of this mountain; however, it was destroyed after the decline of the Sakai clan.

Access

Gallery

Image:Kosen-ji1.jpg|Jizō statues among the ruins of Kosen-ji

Image:kosen-ji2.jpg|Other Jizō statues among the ruins of Kosen-ji

Image:kosen-ji3.jpg|Ruins of Kosen-ji