One of the most defining, iconic shrines in Japan. Voted the most beautiful scenery by certain journals. It was quiet, it was spacious, it was verdant green, crispy blue, and glistening red. It was a drive from your previous or next stop. It was a once in a life time visit. Took a little stroll. Got a lucky charm. Said a little prayer. It was a tranquil moment of our life.
Its a shrine with sprawling grounds comprising temples, ponds and fixtures.
The environment is quiet and peaceful. Our guide shared that couting couples would come to the shrine for their dates too. We spent around 1-1/2 hours walking around and exploring after seeing the main shrine and camphor tree.
This is a very beautiful Shinto shrine. I would argue the most beautiful I've ever been to.
This shrine is ranked 2nd in importance after Ise Jingu near Nagoya. I've visited there as well, however, I'd rate this as more physically beautiful. Both the nature and the architecture are stunning.
The main shrine itself was under construction, though everywhere else was still visible. A number of sights stood out to me, such as the covered bridge over the river , the bridges in the pond, and the huge torii gates.
I noticed an interesting tradition here that stood out to me. You clap four times while praying, unlike the usual two. There's also a spot with 3 shrines lined up in order left to right, and the tradition is to pray at each one in order.
A beautiful and magnificent temple, serene and shaded, with an atmosphere that evokes the temple’s former glory in the past.
Such a lovely shrine! It’s the second most prestigious shrine after Ise Shrine in Mie. Part of it was under construction, but it was still nice to walk around the quiet area and snack at the places lined up outside the gates. Not as spacious as Ise Shrine, but still definitely worth a visit
