Night Rain at Ōyama, from the series "Eight Famous Views of Kanagawa"

This print shows Mount Ōyama during a heavy downpour, with steep stone stairways connecting a Buddhist temple at the base to a Shinto shrine higher up the mountain. The Buddhist temple, Oyama-dera Temple, is one of the Kanto Sandai Fudo (or three great temples in the Kanto region to the guardian deity Fudo). The Shinto shrine, Ōyama Afuri Shrine, is believed to be over 2,200 years old. The custom of osamedachi, the offering of a wooden sword, became associated with pilgrimage to Mount Ōyama and was widely practiced during the Edo period. Osamedachi can be seen in this print - the pilgrim highest up on the steps carries a large wooden sword.

Ōyama was also closely connected to Mount Fuji through shared religious associations. One of the three deities enshrined at Ōyama, Ōyamatsumi, was understood to be the father of Konohanasakuya-hime, the principal deity of Mount Fuji. Because of this relationship, pilgrims often visited both mountains in a single journey, a practice known as ryōmairi. This paired pilgrimage reinforced the spiritual significance of each site within a broader network of sacred geography.

Ōyama was a major destination for religious pilgrimage during the Edo period, drawing large numbers of visitors each year. Climbing to the peak was only permitted during a limited season, typically a three-month period, when the mountain became especially active with devotees. The site reflects the historical overlap of Buddhist and Shinto practices, with temple and shrine complexes forming part of a single pilgrimage route.