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.