The mystical mountain of Horaiji Temple and home to 1,300 years of history

There is something truly mystical about the atmosphere around holy Mt. Horaiji and the Buddhist institution which occupies it, Horaiji Temple. The whole mountain is tranquil, and with unspoiled ancient nature, it is enveloped in spiritualism, history, and the long forgotten ways of yesteryear.
You may hear the calls of Japanese scops owl, regarded as sacred with its hooting call, sounding like “buposo”, said to represent the Japanese meanings of "bu", or "Buddha"; "po, or "sutra"; and "so", or "priest". The entire mountain itself is famous around Japan and even regarded a national natural monument for the abundance of nature it houses.

Horaiji Temple was founded by hermit priest Rishu and has continued to stand mid-way up the mountain for the 1,300 years since its establishment. Walk a 1,425-step mountain path from the base of the mountain to the temple, and you'll come across an 800-year-old umbrella-shaped cedar with a height of 60 meters as just one of the natural wonders in the area. But the treasures don't stop there.
The Nio Gate, constructed by shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1651, too wows visitors with its astonishing architecture recognized as an important cultural property.