Oiwa Shrine, Hitachi

Oiwa Shrine sits at the base of Mount Oiwa in Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, recognized as one of the oldest sacred mountains in the region. While the exact age remains unknown, religious remains from the Jomon Era dating back approximately 3,500 to 4,500 years suggest ancient worship at this site. The shrine is mentioned in the Hitachi no Fudoki, one of Japan's oldest literary texts, under its former name Yamakabire no Takamine, described as a sacred site honoring deities of the mountainous area.

Oiwa Shrine is exceptionally rare in Japan for enshrining 188 gods, making it one of the country's most significant multi-deity shrines. The shrine complex includes several structures along a forested mountain path, with 26 deities enshrined at the main Oiwa Shrine building itself. The site has gained recognition as a power spot, believed to provide beneficial effects on visitors' mental and physical energy.

The approach to the shrine features several notable elements. Near the entrance stands a giant sanbon-sugi, a Japanese cedar tree with three distinctive trunks estimated to be 500 years old. Legend suggests a tengu once lived in this tree. Visitors pass through a two-storied gate flanked by Kongou-rikishi guardian statues before reaching the Saijinja Shrine, which houses Nyorai Buddha and Amida Nyorai statues surrounded by ancient trees. A gosho-guruma wheel along the path is said to grant wishes for this life when turned upward or the next life when turned downward.

Mount Oiwa can be climbed via trails behind the shrine, taking approximately 40 minutes one way to reach the summit. Two routes offer different perspectives of the natural environment. Visitors should avoid climbing during rain or heavy snow, start before 15:00, stay on marked routes, and respect the sacred nature of the mountain by not removing plants, stones, or wildlife.

From JR Hitachi Station, take Bus No. 60 bound for Higashigodo from Bus Stop No. 1 and alight at Oiwa Shrine. The bus journey takes approximately 35 minutes, while taxis require about 20 minutes from Hitachi Station. By car from the Hitachi-Chuo IC exit on the Joban Expressway, the shrine is a 10-minute drive along Route 36. From Tokyo, the JR Tokiwa Line Hitachi Express from Shinagawa, Tokyo, or Ueno stations takes approximately 90 minutes to Hitachi Station. Admission is free, and walking sticks are available for rental at the shrine office.