A great destination for spring outings, spiritual practice, and hot springs—Dogo Onsen Dogo Mountain

Text and photos by Happy Cloud

Everywhere in Izumisano, you’ll see the local specialty "Dogo Pork." Today, we’ve come to its birthplace—Dogo Mountain. Hahaha... I get it now. In such a place with beautiful mountains, clear waters, and great outdoor activities, no wonder the pork tastes so good.


This is also a small mountainous hot spring town in the Osaka suburbs, a place where locals often come for leisurely outings and spring walks.


▲ Not far from the entrance, a towering tree stands in the middle of the trail, as if giving travelers a warm welcome.

Dogo Mountain is also a well-known spiritual practice site in Japan. No wonder the whole place feels so spiritually charged. It’s said that the monk Kobo Daishi once practiced here. Nowadays, people still come here for spiritual practice, and there are even Zen meditation courses in the mountains!!!


▲ Today, we took a leisurely walking route. We didn’t engage in rigorous Zen practice or trek along tough mountain trails. It was a simple hiking trail for a relaxing walk.


Walking through the woods, crossing small bridges, breathing in phytoncides... it felt a bit like an urban backyard garden (friends visiting here, remember to wear comfortable shoes!!!)


In early March, the cherry blossoms hadn’t bloomed yet, but we did see elegant plum blossoms. We followed some local volunteer moms toward the Seven Waterfalls.


Along the way, many unnamed roadside shrines caught our attention, making us stop and play as we slowly made our way deeper into the mountains. It’s said that anyone can apply to Dogo Mountain to place items on the roadside for people to worship!!!


As a result, there were countless kinds of shrines along the way, too many to count. It’s a very peaceful walking trail, filled with the sounds of insects, birds, flowing water, and wind... it’s a very comfortable walk.


But we didn’t hear any "dog barks" at all. So... why is this place called Dogo Mountain?? It turns out it’s to commemorate a loyal dog that was mistakenly killed. The story goes that a hunter took his loyal dog hunting in the mountains. Suddenly, the dog started barking nonstop. The hunter, angered, chopped off the dog’s head. Then, the dog’s head flew off and bit a large snake, saving the hunter... Only then did the hunter realize he had misunderstood the dog, and he was filled with regret. He later became a monk and practiced in the mountains to atone for his sins...




In the mountains (midway along the trail), there’s also a memorial stone tablet and statue. Over time, the dog’s features have become unrecognizable. Recently, a new dog statue was erected nearby, along with a pet cemetery (similar to a columbarium). Many people have also chosen to bury their beloved dogs here.





Dogo Mountain also hosts regular summer festival events. Walking on red-hot charcoal is somewhat similar to Taiwan’s spirit mediums. The burning flames and fireworks are messages sent to the heavens. It may not be as lively as the summer festivals we’re familiar with, but it’s said to preserve many traditional elements.


At Qibao Long Temple, we encountered the person earlier carrying a box. Later, we found out there was actually a little dog hidden inside it!! Wow~~ this... is another kind of pet love.


This year is the Year of the Horse. Temples and shrines usually have zodiac-themed clay bells or fortune-telling slips for the current year. Look at the cute horses—let’s take a pair home to keep each other company and avoid loneliness!!


After passing through Qibao Long Temple, the waterfall on the back mountain wall is the Seven Waterfalls, the endpoint of our walking trip today.


This is also a well-known spiritual practice area locally. In the summer, there are courses for practicing under waterfalls. Wow~ this place is just brimming with spiritual energy.


Although we didn’t practice today, we felt energized and happy after being cleansed by the phytoncides. We walked while listening to stories, having a great time, and slowly made our way back, ending our morning walking trip.


Originally, we were supposed to walk back the same way we came, but our local Japanese friend kindly arranged transportation, allowing us to take it easy and only walk one way. If you were to visit on your own, you’d have to walk all the way back.


Before leaving the bus stop where we started, don’t forget to use the restroom here. It’s super clean and even has a sound princess button!!! Hahaha... who would’ve thought such a seemingly quiet public restroom could be so amazing!!




Free download link for the Izumisano Play app is below
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wan-le-quan-zuo-ye/id829461544?mt=8
Or you can directly search for "Izumisano Play" in the app download center to find it!!!

Izumisano walking map—friends who need it, please download it yourself
http://www.kankou-izumisano.jp/material/template/kanko/pdf/izumisano_mapC_Hantai.pdf


Welcome to explore the world with Happy Cloud, seeing and feeling with heart!!!
Happy Cloud’s Travel Blog:http://happycloud2013.blogspot.tw/
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