Shugendo
History, Heritage & Religion

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Shugendo (修験道) is a mixture of a number of different spirtual beliefs and concepts- it blends elements of Shintoism and Buddhism, spell-casting and mountain-based meditation. The connection of shugendo with mountainous terrain comes from the traditional belief that spirits and gods reside in remote mountain landscapes. These concepts were organized during the Heian era (794-1184 CE) with much of the credit going towards En no Gyoja (役の行者/En the Ascetic).

In 1872 the Meiji government banned shugendo as it was neither fully Shinto nor fully Buddhist. As a result practioners were forced to decide between Shintoism (which most migrated towards) or Buddhism (where they were assigned low-ranking positions inferior to their years of spiritual study in shugendo). Shugendo returned in 1946 following World War 2 when Japan adopted a position of freedom of worship and religion. Practitioners of shugendo are commonly called "yamabushi" (山伏) which means "mountain warriors" though the term "shugenja" (修験者) is used as well. Their visually distinctive outfits made of a tiny black hat (頭襟/tokin) and suspender-like item with fluffy balls attached (結袈裟/yuigesa) make them stand out compared to the outfits traditionally worn by Buddhist monks and Shinto priests.

Relevance to MAO

In chapter 123 Sasuga, who is identified as a "shugenja" (修験者), is responsible for causing droughts and summoning rain for remote villages. The boy's conch shell horn is a traditional element of shugendo known as a "hora" (ホラ). The outfits of the yamabushi are often associated with tengu creatures as well, thus in Urusei Yatsura Kurama's crow minions also wear the garments of a yamabushi.