Mt. Shigi

"Mt. Shigi is a mountain situated close to the boundary between Osaka Prefecture and Nara Prefecture that is closely associated with Shotoku Taishi (Prince Shotoku). According to tradition, while the Prince was engaged in a punitive expedition against Mononobe Moriya, the Buddhist deity Bishamonten (Vaisravana) appeared to him and taught him a secret method for securing victory. The name ""Mt. Shigi"" derives from the subsequent belief that the mountain where this event took place deserved to be trusted and revered. Mt. Shigi has two peaks: Otake, the northern peak, is 437 meters high, while Metake, the southern peak, is 400.5 meters high. The mountain is relatively easy to climb, and has been included in the list of the ""Top 100 Best Mountains to Visit in Nara Prefecture."" On the southern slopes of Mt. Shigi there is the Chogosonshi-ji Temple, a Buddhist temple belonging to the Shigisan Shingon sect that is dedicated to Bishamonten; the Temple is famous as a great place for viewing autumn foliage."