Deity of shinbutsu shūgō (kami–buddha syncretism)
Izuna Gongen
飯縄権現
Izuna Gongen is a deity of mountain faith connected with Mount Iizuna and Mount Togakushi in Shinshū. Takaosan Yakuōin explains that an original faith in a god of farming spread in the Sengoku period into a faith in the protector of warlords. That temple enshrines him as a transformed form of Fudō Myōō.
This introduction is based on materials from Shōhōin (Tobi Fudō). It is summarized within the scope of the beliefs and traditions those materials convey, and does not present explanations or customs common to all schools, shrines, and temples.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Izuna Daigongen, born from mountain faith
Izuna Gongen is a deity of mountain faith connected with Mount Iizuna and Mount Togakushi in Shinshū. Takaosan Yakuōin explains that an original faith in a god of farming spread in the Sengoku period into a faith in the protector of warlords. That temple enshrines him as a transformed form of Fudō Myōō.
Source: 高尾山薬王院
Prayers to remove misfortune and open the way
At Mount Takao, faith in Izuna Daigongen is joined with faith in the tengu who are his attendants, and people pray for removing misfortune and opening good fortune, and for inviting blessings. In Shōhōin's iconographic description, he has a nose like a bird's beak and rides a white fox. Explanations of his original buddha and form differ by lineage.
Source: 高尾山薬王院・飛不動尊 正宝院
Faith held by warlords
Yakuōin explains that Izuna Daigongen was depicted on the maedate crest of Uesugi Kenshin's helmet, and that Takeda Shingen also revered him as a protective deity. It is a history in which the wishes of different people — for farming, for mountain practice, and for protection in an age of war — were layered onto a single deity.
Source: 高尾山薬王院
Related kami and buddhas
Sources (in Japanese)
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：飯縄権現」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：目次」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 高尾山薬王院「高尾山と天狗様」（2026-10-15 確認）