Futatsu Torii (Double Torii Gates)
These two torii gates stand near the 120th stone marker along the Choishi Michi (Stone Marker Trail), about one-third of the way between Jisonin Temple and the stupa in the Danjo Garan temple complex in Koyasan. According to legend, the original wooden torii were built here in 819, when the Buddhist priest Kukai (known posthumously as Kobo Daishi; 774–835), the founder of Koyasan, made his way up the mountain to found the monastery complex. He built the gates to honor the goddess Niutsuhime and her son Takanomiko (Kariba Myojin), the guardian deities of Koyasan.
For over a thousand years, pilgrims have passed through these gates on their way to Niutsuhime Shrine to pay their respects to the guardian gods before starting their ascent of the mountain. On clear days, hikers can enjoy a scene that has remained relatively unchanged over the centuries: a bird’s-eye view of the rice fields of Amano village.