Shrine Guide
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Mitsumine Shrine: A Mountain Sanctuary Guarded by Wolves
In Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, the road climbs further and further from town, winding higher into the…
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Oiwa Shrine: A Sacred Mountain Where Ancient Belief and Shinto-Buddhist Fusion Still Live
Oiwa Shrine sits in the mountains of Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture. Pass through the torii, and the…
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Samukawa Shrine: Protection From Misfortune, From Every Direction
Samukawa Shrine, in Samukawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, holds the rank of Ichinomiya — the leading shrine of…
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Chasing Masakado Through Tokyo: Five Sites Where a Cursed Warrior Became a Guardian
Riding Tokyo’s subways and trains, it’s possible to trace the trail of a warrior who died…
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Ikaho Shrine: A Hot Spring Town’s Shrine, Reached by 365 Stone Steps
Ikaho Onsen is one of Gunma’s best-known hot spring towns. At its center is a long…
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Myogi Shrine: Climbing Ancient Stone Steps Toward a Mountain of Jagged Rock
Mount Myogi, in western Gunma Prefecture, is one of the Jomo Sanzan — the three mountains…
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Why Gunma? Mountains, Hot Springs, and Shrines Beyond Tokyo
Tokyo, Kyoto, Mount Fuji, Hakone, Nikko. For travelers visiting Japan, these are the names that tend…
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Haruna Shrine: A Sacred Site Where Rock, Waterfall, and Forest Become One
Haruna Shrine in Gunma is a mountain sanctuary where rock, waterfall, forest, and sacred architecture merge…