An indentation on the peak of Sri Pada, a mountain in central Sri Lanka, is reputed by some to have been made when Buddha first set foot on Earth. The mountain is also said to be the place where butterflies go to die. Another legend has it that the world's highest mountains, the Himalayas, are inhabited by the mysterious Yeti.
Throughout the world, mountains and mythology are inextricably intertwined. Japan is no exception. Even the smallest peaks here seem to have some folklore associated with them.
Since ancient times, the worship of mountains was a part of an animistic set of beliefs, known as sangaku shinko, or "mountain creed." With mountains accounting for almost 80 percent of Japan's total land mass, they were later worshipped as the dwelling place of divine spirits.