Shido Mountain Temple

Shido Mountain Temple (斯個山方; shido-yamahora) is a temple located on the outskirts of Shido, in Chiko-dan, Chiha Prefecture. The temple is thought to be at least 200 years old, and is dedicated to the major mountain deity Yamakami. It also includes a jonsan dedicated to the 'Shido Priest'.

History
The history of the temple is quite unclear, and even its origins are dubious. According to local legend, there was once a Chiryo monk who lived high up on the tallest peak of the Tansanko mountains. He was extremely reclusive and spent his days trying to learn the secret to good health, as he was a very sickly man.

One day, there was a terrible rockfall caused by some coal mining that was being done at the base of the mountain. The monk collected some of the rocks from the fall and travelled down to Shido town, hoping to show the people the detrimental effects of their mining. However, on the second night of his descent down the mountainside, he received a vision from Yamakami which told him not to be angry, and build a temple out of the rocks instead. Filled with holy strength and determination, the monk laboured for seven days and seven nights constructing the temple. At the end of the week, the monk's strength left him at last, and he died inside the temple. As it left, his soul blessed the site.

Features
The temple is moderately large, made entirely out of brick and stone with a wooden roof. The entrance is open and reached by a set of wide paved steps which are a modern addition. Inside the temple, there are two shrines: the first and larger being dedicated to Shanshen, while the second is a zusuan dedicated to the legendary builder of the temple.

In April 1860, a portion of the building was destroyed by a rockfall which occured in the aftershock of the Great Chikodan earthquake.