Ishikiri Sando Shopping Street is located on the approach to the shrine that connects the main shrine and Kaminosha, which requires about a 15-minute climb towards Mt. Ikoma. The shopping street features a variety of shops selling sweets and souvenirs, as well as many fortune-telling establishments. But why so many fortune-tellers? Let’s take a look at the history.

Mt. Ikoma served as a training ground for ascetic monks who lived in the mountains and became experts in plants and minerals. The plants that thrived in mineral-rich areas were used for medicinal purposes, leading these monks to barter their harvests with local villagers. In exchange, villagers ground these plants into powder using water wheels and sold them as medicine. Many Japanese and Chinese medicine shops in the Edo Period established themselves along the shrine’s approach for this very reason.

With the advent of the railway and the opening of Ishikiri Station in the Taisho Period, the approach experienced significant development, and tourists from across west-central Japan started to visit. However, as the Showa Period began and electricity became more prevalent, the water wheels gradually disappeared. You can see a restored water wheel at Zushidani Water Wheel Village, located further inland from Kaminosha.

After World War II, Ishikiri became known as a “god who wards off cancer,” and this belief grew stronger within the community. Along the path to the shrine, life counseling centers opened to support those feeling hopeless. Over time, these centers transformed into what we now call “fortune telling.” Our worries and fears have remained constant, prompting us to seek comfort in various ways. This need for comfort has persisted from the past to the present.