National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

When practitioners of Shugendō (yamabushi) went up into the mountains, they used axes like this one to cut branches and clear the brush in their path. Originally, these were used as practical tools, but they later became ritual implements with established forms. The head of this one is mounted on a handle and narrows in the center to resemble a plectrum for strumming stringed instruments. It is further adorned with a heart-shaped openwork design edged in bronze. The butt of the ax-head is shaped to resemble three petals and has the same heart-shaped openwork design. The wooden handle itself is spiral-wrapped in a narrow strip of bronze. Adherents to Shugendō practiced asceticism in rugged landscapes on sacred mountains across the country and carried gear suitable for their travels in the wild. With its minimal decoration, this ritual axe retains the powerful appearance of a practical tool. It was reportedly passed down at Jinshōji Temple in Shiga Prefecture.