Most travellers who make it to Tottori head straight for the sand dunes and leave again. A short train ride west, though, the middle of the prefecture hides one of Japan's most extraordinary pilgrim sites, a riverside hot-spring town that has been soothing guests for centuries, and an old merchant quarter of white plaster and red roof tiles. On Sunday, October 25, 2026, these line up neatly: Mitokusan Sanbutsuji holds its autumn rite with a public fire-walk, and Kurayoshi stages its own town festival the same day. Here is how to build a two- or three-day trip around that weekend.
Mitokusan Sanbutsuji and the Nageiredo
Mitokusan Sanbutsuji is a mountain temple of the Shugendo tradition, the ascetic blend of Buddhism and mountain worship practised by yamabushi. Its fame rests on the Nageiredo ("thrown-in hall"), a small Heian-period hall wedged into a hollow of a sheer rock face high on the mountain. Legend says the ascetic En no Gyoja built it at the foot of the cliff and then, with his supernatural powers, tossed the whole building up into place — which is about as good an explanation as anyone has managed. It is a designated National Treasure and is often called the most dangerous one in Japan to visit.
Reaching it means following a pilgrim trail, not a hiking path. You scramble up tree roots, haul yourself over bare rock with chains and pass small halls perched on ledges, including the Monjudo and Jizodo, whose open verandas have no railings and sweeping views over the valley. Plan on roughly 90 minutes to two hours for the round trip from the trail gate.
The temple treats this as religious practice, and the rules are strict:
- No solo climbers — you must enter in a group of at least two.
- Footwear is checked at the gate. Shoes with poor grip are refused; straw sandals are sold on site for those who need them.
- You register at the gate and pay a separate climbing fee on top of the temple admission. Entry to the trail closes in mid-afternoon (around 3 pm).
- The trail closes in heavy rain, after snowfall and through the winter months, so late October is one of the last comfortable windows of the year.
If you would rather not climb, a roadside viewing point below the mountain offers a distant look at the hall clinging to the cliff — bring binoculars or a zoom lens.
The Autumn Fire Festival (October 25)
Every autumn the temple holds its Aki-eshiki, known locally as the Festival of Flames. In past years the programme has started around 1 pm with a great outdoor saito goma fire ceremony: yamabushi in conch-shell and checked robes chant sutras while a stacked pyre of cedar is set alight and prayer sticks are fed into the smoke. Once the fire has burned down, the embers are raked flat for the hiwatari fire-walk, which in recent years has begun around 2:15 pm.
The priests cross first, and then members of the public may walk barefoot over the path to pray for good fortune and protection from misfortune. In 2025 participation cost 1,000 yen and included a protective headband and a rice cake. Avoid flammable synthetic skirts and tights. On festival day a shuttle bus has run between the Misasa Onsen tourist car park and the mountain, which is far easier than driving the narrow valley road. Check the temple or Misasa tourism website closer to the date for the exact 2026 timings.
The maples around the temple are only just beginning to turn at this time; peak colour usually arrives in early to mid-November.
Misasa Onsen
Ten minutes down the valley lies Misasa Onsen, a riverside spa town known for its unusually high radon content. Its name is read as "three mornings", from the old saying that if you stay three mornings, your ailments will be gone. Together with Mitokusan it forms the Japan Heritage story of purifying the six senses: hardship on the mountain, then healing in the water.
The town's symbol is the Kawara-buro, a stone-ringed open-air pool on the riverbank by Misasa Bridge. It is free, mixed-gender and almost completely in view of the bridge, so most visitors settle for the free foot baths nearby instead — including one in the middle of Kajika Bridge, where you can soak your feet and listen for the river frogs. Note that the Kawara-buro is closed for cleaning on the mornings of odd-numbered days. For a proper soak, book a ryokan with its own baths or use one of the public bathhouses such as Kabuyu. Wander the lantern-lit main street after dinner in your yukata; it has a retro arcade with old-fashioned games of skill.
Kurayoshi: White Walls and Red Tiles
The gateway town of Kurayoshi grew rich as a castle and merchant town, and its Shirakabe Dozogun district preserves a row of white-plastered storehouses along the Tamagawa canal, crossed by small stone bridges. Many of the Edo- and Meiji-era buildings wear glossy red Sekishu roof tiles and now house cafés, sake shops, craft stores and a soy-sauce brewery. It is an easy half day on foot. The old quarter sits about 15 minutes by bus from JR Kurayoshi Station.
On the same Sunday, the 14th Kurayoshi Baen Festival takes over the area around Kurayoshi Station with stage performances and stalls — a lively local contrast to the solemn rites on the mountain.
Suggested Itinerary
- Day 1 (Saturday 24): Arrive in Kurayoshi, walk the storehouse district in the afternoon, then bus to Misasa Onsen for the night.
- Day 2 (Sunday 25): Climb to the Nageiredo first thing (gate opens around 8 am), watch the goma fire and fire-walk in the afternoon, and return to Misasa for a second night.
- Day 3 (Monday 26): Head east to Tottori for the Tottori Sand Dunes on your way home.
Getting There
- From Osaka/Kyoto: Limited Express Super Hakuto to Tottori (about 2.5 hours from Osaka), then a limited express or local train west to Kurayoshi (30–50 minutes).
- From Okayama: Limited Express Super Inaba to Tottori and change, or Super Yakumo to Yonago and change; allow around 2.5–3 hours.
- From Tokyo: Fly from Haneda to Tottori Airport (about 75 minutes), then bus or train onward.
- Local buses: From JR Kurayoshi Station, buses reach Misasa Onsen in about 20 minutes and Mitokusan in about 40. Services can be an hour or more apart, so note the return times before you set off.
Tips
- Wear proper hiking shoes and gloves for the Nageiredo trail, and carry belongings in a small backpack — you will need both hands.
- Rain on the morning of the 25th may close the trail; build in Monday as a backup climbing day.
- If you can return in early November, Tottori's Matsuba crab (snow crab) season opens on November 6, and Misasa ryokan switch to crab-centred dinners.
- Accommodation in Misasa fills up on festival weekend; book early.
Image: Nageiredo of Mitokusan Sanbutsuji by Kazunori Fujimoto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
