Database: Mount Atago
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Mount Atago, northwest of Kyoto at an elevation of 924 meters, has long been a place of worship, like Mount Hiei to the northeast. The main altar of the Atago Shrine sits at the mountain's peak and is dedicated to the god Atago-gongen. Due to its geographical position, Atago became a deity intended to prevent calamities entering Kyoto from the northwest, and was particularly revered as a deity meant to prevent fires and thefts." [sic] Since the 8th century, the shrine has been a center for Shugendo, the regional mix of Mountain and Buddhist beliefs, with an inner area dedicated to the tengu Tarobo (a local spirit). Atago-gongen was believed to be an incarnation of Shogun-Jizo, or the "Kshitigarbha (bodhisattva) of the victorious army" in Buddhist beliefs. Shogun-Jizo was worshipped as the main Buddha ofthe Hakuun-ji Temple at the summit of the Mount by warriors seeking victory in upcoming battles. Prior to the Honno-ji incident in 1582, Akechi Mitsuhide visited Atago shrine, presumably to pray for victory, which gave rise to a popular tale. It is said that Mitsuhide drew lots three times to decide whether to attack Oda Nobunaga. The following day, he held a renga meeting at the shrine and made his intentions clear by starting the even with a poem expressing his desire for absolute power.