Yamabushi ' ( one who lies in the mountains ) are Japanese mountain ascetic hermit s with a long tradition , endowed with supernatural powers in traditional Japanese mysticism . They follow the Shugendō ( 修験道 ) doctrine , an integration of mainly esoteric Buddhism of the Shingon ( 真言 ) sect , with Tendai ( 天台宗 , Tendai - shū ) Buddhism , Taoism , and Shinto ( 神道 ) elements . For the most part solitary , they did form loose confederations , and associations with certain temples , and also participated in battles and skirmishes alongside " samurai " ( 武士 ) and " sōhei " ( 僧兵 ) on occasion . Their origins can be traced back to the solitary Yama - bito （ 山人 , Yamaōshi , and some hijiri " " ' ( 聖 ) of the eighth and ninth centuries . There has also been cross - teaching with samurai weaponry and Yamabushi ' s spiritual approach to life and fighting . In modern use , the term " ubasoku - yamabushi " refers to laymen practitioners of shugendō . The religion places a heavy emphasis on asceticism and feats of endurance , and white and saffron - robed " yamabushi " toting a " horagai " conch - shell trumpet are still a common sight near the shugendō holy site of Dewa Sanzan and in the sacred mountains of Kumano and Omine . History . " Yamabushi " began as " yamahoshi " , isolated clusters ( or individuals ) of mountain hermits , ascetics , and " holy men " , who followed the path of " shugendō " , a search for spiritual , mystical , or supernatural powers gained through asceticism . This path may or may not have had a founder , as the myths surrounding En no Gyōja are numerous and complex ; he is quite similar to a Japanese Merlin in this way . Men who followed this path came to be known by a variety of names , including " kenja " , " kenza " , and " shugenja " . These mountain mystics came to be renowned for their magical abilities and occult knowledge , and were sought out as healers or mediums , although Shinto shrines had traditionally reserved this role exclusively for maidens known as Miko . Most of these ascetics , in addition to their devotion to " shugendō " , studied the teachings of the Tendai sect of Buddhism , or the Shingon sect , established by Kōbō Daishi in the 8th century . Shingon Buddhism was one of the primary sects of " mikkyō " ( 密教 ) or Esoteric Buddhism , according to which enlightenment is found through isolation , and the study and contemplation of oneself , as well as nature , and esoteric images called mandala . Both the Shingon sect and the Tendai viewed mountains as the ideal place for this sort of isolation and contemplation of nature . In their mountain retreats , these monks studied not only nature and religious / spiritual texts and images , but also a variety of martial arts . Whether they felt they had to defend themselves from bandits , other monks , or samurai armies is questionable , but the idea of studying martial arts as a means to improve oneself mentally and spiritually , not just physically , has always been central to Japanese culture , beyond the specific tenets of one religious sect or another . Thus , like the " sōhei " , the " yamabushi " became warriors as well as monks . As their reputation for mystical insight and knowledge grew , and their organization grew tighter , many of the masters of the ascetic disciplines began to be appointed to high spiritual positions in the court hierarchy . Monks and temples began to gain political influence . By the Nanboku - chō Period , in the 13th and 14th centuries , the " yamabushi " had formed organized cohorts called " konsha " , and these " konsha " , along with " sōhei " and other monks began to take direction from the central temples of their sects . They assisted Emperor Go - Daigo in his attempts to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate , and proved their warrior skills to be up to the challenge of fighting professional " samurai " armies . Several centuries later , in the Sengoku Period , " yamabushi " could be found among the advisers and armies of nearly every major contender for dominion over Japan . Some , led by Takeda Shingen , aided Oda Nobunaga against Uesugi Kenshin in 1568 , while others , including the abbot Sessai Choro , advised Tokugawa Ieyasu . Many fought alongside their fellow monks , the " Ikkō - ikki " , against Nobunaga , who eventually crushed them and put an end to the time of the warrior monks . Yamabushi also served as " sendatsu " , or spiritual mountain guides , since medieval times for pilgrims along the Kumano Kodo to the Kumano Sanzan , including retired emperors and aristocrats .