Built atop a vertical cliff, the Kannon-do Hall is known as Japan’s most dangerous national treasure.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan / Tottori

Last year, the Japanese government launched the "Japan Heritage" certification program, and the first batch of selected sites included 18 locations. One of them is the Kannon-do Hall on Mount Sandan in Tottori Prefecture, situated at an elevation of 900 meters. Perched on a sheer cliff, getting up close to the hall requires a perilous hike along rugged mountain paths. Coupled with frequent reports of hikers falling during the climb, it has earned the nickname “Japan’s most dangerous national treasure.”

The Kannon-do Hall perched on a vertical cliff.

Sanbutsu-ji is a temple complex built within Mount Sandan by monks devoted to spiritual practice. Its inner sanctuary, the Oku-no-in (Kannon-do Hall), is a hall built on a sheer cliff face, resembling China’s Hanging Temple. How it was constructed and when remain unknown. Legend says the founder of Shugendo used divine power to “cast” the temple onto the cliff, hence its name “Kannon-do” (literally “Thrown-In Hall”).

To get a close-up view of the Kannon-do Hall, visitors must hike the rugged mountain path on hands and knees, which takes about 1.5 to 2 hours round trip. This trail is also a sacred site for spiritual training on Mount Sandan. Since there are no paved stone steps leading to the Kannon-do Hall—most of the path consists of dirt trails, some of which are slippery—visitors wearing shoes that lack sufficient grip or are unsuitable for hiking (checked at the ticket office) will be required to purchase straw sandals and wear them to enter. Additionally, visitors must go in groups of two or more, and access may be restricted in bad weather.


Overview of the locations and descriptions of the various halls at Sanbutsu-ji.


The reception office behind the main hall, where visitors pay the entrance fee and have their shoes checked.


If your shoes don’t meet the requirements, you’ll have to buy straw sandals. Don’t let their simplicity fool you—they’re very grippy.


Demonstration of how to wear the straw sandals.


The properly worn straw sandals.


Entering the mountain is considered a form of spiritual practice, so you’ll wear this “Six Roots Purification” charm.

Although the hiking trail from the reception office behind the main hall to the Kannon-do Hall is only 700 meters long, over half of it consists of steep slopes. In some sections, you’ll face near-vertical earthen walls, requiring you to use tree roots to climb up. Other parts feature massive rock faces where you must scramble up like in rock climbing, or use heavy chains to ascend extremely steep cliffs. As a result, the round trip takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.


The path to the Kannon-do Hall involves climbing steep slopes on all fours.





Extremely steep rocky slope.

On the way to the Kannon-do Hall, you’ll also pass by several temples with histories of over 100 years. Among them, the Monju-do and Jizo-do Halls are built on hillsides, featuring post-and-lintel structures similar to Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Although the Monju-do and Jizo-do Halls are currently closed to the public, visitors can walk around their exteriors. With three sides of the halls open to the air and no railings, you can enjoy panoramic views of the picturesque mountains as if they were paintings. Those unafraid of heights can even sit on the verandas, enjoying the cool breeze and stunning scenery.

After climbing up to the Monju-do and Jizo-do Halls, there’s a thrilling section of the path called the Horse’s Back and Cow’s Back. Although the path is relatively flat rocky terrain and less slippery, it borders a cliff, making the hike nerve-wracking as one wrong step could lead to a fall. Before reaching the Kannon-do Hall, there’s also a cave-temple dedicated to Kannon, built in 1648 by the lord of the Tottori Domain. Visitors circle around the back before proceeding forward.






The other three sides of the Monju-do Hall are suspended in mid-air, offering breathtaking views.


It’s very photogenic when sitting up there.


The Jizo-do Hall.
 

The cave-temple dedicated to Kannon.


And there it is—the Kannon-do Hall at last.

After passing the Kannon Cave Temple and taking a turn, you’ll see the Kannon-do Hall. Similar to Kiyomizu-dera, it also features a post-and-lintel structure, but it’s surrounded by vertical cliffs. How it was built remains a mystery to this day, as does how the monks managed to reach it. After visiting the Kannon-do Hall, you’ll make your way back down the same path. Since many sections are steep, it’s essential to step carefully to avoid slipping or falling. Safety comes first.