Shugendō

Shugendō (修験道, lit. the "Way [of] Trial [and] Practice", the "Way of Shugen, or Gen-practice") is a highly syncretic religion, a body of ascetic practices that originated in the Nara Period of Japan having evolved during the 7th century from an amalgamation of beliefs, philosophies, doctrines and ritual systems drawn from local folk-religious practices, Shinto mountain worship and Buddhism. The final purpose of Shugendō is for practitioners to find supernatural power and save themselves and the masses by conducting religious training while treading through steep mountain ranges. Practitioners are called Shugenja (修験者) or Yamabushi (山伏, literally "Mountain Prostrator"). The mountains where shugenja is practiced are all over Japan, and include various mountains of the Ōmine mountain range such as Mount Hakkyō and Mount Ōmine.

The Shugendō worldview includes a large pantheon of deities (which include Buddhist and Shinto figures). Some of the most important figures are the tantric Buddhist figures of Fudō Myōō and Dainichi Nyorai. Other key figures are Gongen (権現), which are considered to be the manifestation of Buddhas as Japanese kami. Zaō Gongen (蔵王権現) is one of the most important gongen in Shugendō.