Datsueba and Ubado Hall

Ubado Hall stands along the stone path to the summit of Yamadera and contains a striking depiction of Datsueba, the fearsome watchwoman of Buddhist afterlife tradition who strips clothing from the dead before they cross the Sanzu River to the next world. The hall marks a symbolic threshold between the earthly path below and the spiritual realm above. Historically, pilgrims removed their clothes, purified themselves with mountain stream water, offered their garments to Datsueba, and changed into fresh attire before continuing upward. The belief was that each step shed another layer of worldly desire, making the long stone staircase a form of spiritual practice.