The Legend of Mount Obokodake

Tales from the Yakumo Area

At the upper reaches of the Namari River, Mount Obokodake (999.3m) stands on the border between Oshima and Hiyama. Known by the names Kamuy-e-roski (“the place where a god is”) or Ukay Nupuri (“the mountains that carry each other”), it has been a sacred mountain since ancient times. There is a custom in the Kotan at the foot of the mountain whereby one elderly villager is chosen from among the people of the Kotan to offer sake to the mountain god.