Historical Study on the Formation Process of the Cultural Landscape of Mountainous Religious Site in Togakushi

Abstract

This research focused on Togakushi, a mountain religious site, and examines the religious interpretations shown to mountain religious objects, the actions and manipulations of religious objects, the benefits that believers receive from interpretations and efforts, and the mutual relationships between them. We focused on the formation process of Togakushi's cultural landscape from a historical perspective. As a conceptual model that captured the formation process of cultural landscapes, we focused on the context of historical changes. This model showed the site where actions and consciousness are accumulated, and there are various religious origins and temple systems, mechanisms, ingenuity to address and suggest people's concerns, and the monks, ascetics, and priests who have leaded these religious values and strengthened the propagation of religious values.