Deep within the lush mountains of Japan, among the thousands of peaks that form a sprawling peninsula on the country’s main island, stands a sacred mountain that has been a sanctuary for spiritual pilgrims for over a thousand years.
Since the seventh century, Mount Omine’s towering trees and burbling streams have greeted Japanese men on spiritual pilgrimage. Devoted practitioners of Shugendo, a fusion of Buddhism and mountain worship, go there to climb a treacherous ridge, an endeavor they believe can help them attain supernatural powers.
In pre-modern Japan, lore has it, ninja assassins disguised themselves as Shugendo practitioners to evade the shogun’s restrictions — and there is still a belief that approaching the mountain in search of spiritual direction without proper training can make a person susceptible to manipulation by dark forces. The video game Assassin’s Creed Shadows follows a samurai as he travels to Mount Omine. But few foreign travelers make the actual journey to its misty peaks.
On May 6, 2024 — his 26th birthday — an American man checked into a small guesthouse in the village of Tenkawa, the entry point to this legendary mountain. He introduced himself as Luigi Mangione, a backpacker from the United States.
With his curly brown hair, Mr. Mangione stood out as the only non-Japanese guest. He arrived prepared to soak in the springs, write and “Zen out,” as he told a friend at the time.
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