5/5 Mohri H. 1 year ago on Google • 239 reviews
Not
too
touristy,
1,300
year
old
campus
of
shrines
curved
out
on
the
side
of
mountains
in
Gunma
Prefecture.
Very
somber,
impressive
buildings
-
not
because
they
are
foiled
in
gold
or
they
have
the
record
ranking
size,
but
because
they
have
quietly
endured
the
time,
and
still
existing.
When
I
went
there,
it
was
the
2nd
day
of
the
New
Year,
and
yet
still,
not
too
many
people
were
there,
daring
the
bitter
cold
air
of
the
cedar
woods
and
frozen
water
falls.
I
live
in
western
NY,
so
I
know
cold
-
this
place
carried
it's
own
winter
bitter!
True
to
the
essence
of
Shintoism,
even
the
smallest
and
the
most
eroded
structures
are
still
kept,
tendered
and
their
dieties
are
well
respected.
A
little
Cha-Ya
(tea
house)
half
way
up
the
lane
that's
leading
up
to
the
main
shrine,
reminded
me
of
how
things
were
perhaps
1,000
years
ago,
treating
those
who
have
traveled
days
or
weeks,
or
even
month
to
get
there,
on
foot.
(
I'm
pretty
fit
BUT
their
official
"15
minutes
to
the
top
shrine"
was
a
bit
of
a
stretch
-
a
handful
of
really
old
ladies
in
their
80-
90
something
were
walking
with
a
cane,
taking
rest
every
few
steps
up
a
very
steep
stone
starts)
This
place
is
famous
for
the
plums.
Their
Plum
Cake
(Ume
Manju)
was
very
tasty,
with
a
whole
cooked
plum
inside,
wrapped
inside
of
not
too
sweet
red
bean
paste.
2 people found this review helpful 👍
