A Shrine Guarded by Wolves, Musashi Mitake Shrine, in West Tokyo

I'd like to continue to introduce Mitake area more. As I wrote in my previous post on the 22nd, there is an old Shinto Shrine, Musashi Mitake Shrine, on Mt. Mitake. According to a Japanese myth the origin of the shrine history goes back to BC. Also at the shrine an episode during BC has been passed down. When a legendary hero, Yamatotakeru, got lost in Mt.Mitake a white wolf of the mountain came out and guided him. Since then wolves in this mountain became guardian Gods here called "Ooguchi-Magami" (literal translation of it is "God With Big Mouth") and this shrine has been known as a shrine guarded by wolves, although Japanese wolves became extinct since the early 20th century.

Mt.Mitake is 3050ft (929m) high and there is a cable car going up to the mountain as in the photo shown in lower right hand side. After getting off the cable car, it looks like there is a small village inside of the mountain as shown in the lower photos. The shrine has been very famous since old times, and many people climbed up the mountain and stayed near the shrine to pray when there was no modern transportation system. Thus there still are many pilgrims' lodgings around the shrine in addition to souvenir shops and restaurants.

After going through the lodgings and shops area, there is a long series of ascending steps. On the top of the steps is the Musashi Mitake Shrine. You can have a great view from the place and you will see two solemn statues of the guardian wolves are on the both side of the top of the steps unlike most other Shinto shrines as showing in the upper photos above.