Mt. Shirataki and the Gohyaku Rakan (500 arhat statues) 白滝山（五百羅漢像）

Description

Mt. Shirataki is located on Innoshima, part of the Shimanami Kaido cycling route. From its 226-meter peak, there are panoramic views of the Setonaikai Sea. Long ago, priests of the shugendo mountain religion are said to have conducted ascetic training here. In 1568, the Innoshima Murakami family built Aoki Castle facing out over the sea on a hill close to Mt. Shirataki. They made Mt. Shirataki their stronghold and built a Kannon-do hall dedicated to the Buddhist goddess of mercy that doubled as a lookout point. Traditionally, there are said to be 500 statues of arhats (those who have reached nirvana), but actually there are around 700. A prominent local merchant carved the statues himself to create a Buddhist Pure Land on the summit of Mt. Shirataki.