Mitsumine shrine~Where to see

Mitsu-torī

The torī seen on the main path to the shrine, is the "Mitsu-torī". A "Mitsu-torī" is a style of torī that looks like 3 torīs combined. This style of torī is also called "Miwa-torī".

Zuishin-mon

Zuishin-mon is a gate that was built in 1792. It originally was a Niou-mon, a gate which has a pair of statues of Niou, but these statues were removed during the separation of Shinto from Buddhism in the Meiji era. The original gate was built in 1691.

Zuishin-mon was repaired in 2004, celebrating 1900 years from establishment and 500 years from Gekkan Dōman entering Mitsuminesan.

Seidō-torī

Seidō-torī is a bronze myōjin style torī built in 1845. It was dedicate by a group of worshippers in Edo, and was carried on a raft on the Arakawa river.

Chōzuya

The "span class="text_italic">Chōzuya , a watershed to cleanse your hands and mouth with water for purification, next to the Seidō-torī was built in 1853. It is covered with beautiful carvings of dragons.

In winter season the water is stopped to prevent the piping from being damaged by freezing. Instead, haraegushi, a wooden wand used in Shinto rituals, is used.

Yatsumune-mokutōdai

Yatsumune-mokutōdai is a light tower built in 1857. It is 6m high. Usually this kind of light tower is made by metal or stone but this one is made by wood which makes it rare.

Haiden and Honden

The haiden, worship hall, was built in 1800, and the honden, main shrine, was built in 1661.

The honden, is "Kasuga-zukuri", a style of gable roof typified by the honden of Kasuga Taisha in Nara.

The haiden is "Irimoya-zukuri", a style of hip-and-gable roof, and are covered by colorful carvings.

The haiden and the honden were both repaired in 2004, celebrating 1900 years from establishment and 500 years from Gekkan Dōman entering Mitsuminesan.

Also, the shine building of Tōshōgū, a massha of the shrine, is used to be the honden, built by Gekkan Dōman in 1553. Some parts of the building were changed when it was relocated, however, it is the oldest building existing in Mitsumine shrine.

The dragon in the stone paving

On the left side of the Haiden, there is a part of the stone paving which has a pattern looking like a dragon. The dragon will appear when the stone paving is wet.

This dragon suddenly appeared on the year of 2012 which was a year of the dragon in the Oriental Zodiac.

Goshimboku

Large goshimbokus, sacred trees, stand on both sides of the stairs leading to the haiden. It is said to be more than 800 years old and was dedicated by Hatakeyama Shigetada a samurai in the Kamakura era.

Each goshimboku can be touched and is said that you can get the "Ki (氣)", spiritual powers, from the goshimboku.

Shōkyōin and Kōunkaku

"span class="text_italic">Shōkyōin was built in 1739 and originally it was the main temple building of Misuminesan with a statue of Kannon Bosatsu placed inside. This buddhism style building was abandoned after the separation of Shinto from Buddhism in the Meiji era, but was repaired in 1991 to preserve it as a historical building. Today it is a tearoom inside and known for the coffee jelly only served for 20 per day. It is open from 9am to 5pm.

Next to Shōkyōin is the Kōunkaku . It is a shukubō, a lodging facility for worshippers. There is also an onsen that can be used without lodging. The onsen is open for visitors from 10:30am to 6pm and the fee is ￥600.

The tree of enmusubi

The Enmusubi-no-ki, meaning the tree of making relations, is a cypress and a fir tree standing close to each other. It is said that it will bring you good luck on fulfillment of love and happy marriage.

In front there is a nassho where you can write down the name of who you love or who you want to tell your feelings.

Okariya

The Okariya is a shrine dedicated to Ōkuchi-no-magami. Ōkuchi-no-magami is a wolf, believed to provide protection from theft or disastors, and also called "Go-kenzoku-sama".

Gokenzoku-sama is believed to be hiding deep in the mountains, the "Okariya", meaning a temporary shrine, is built here.

There are statue of wolves in front of the Okariya.

Statue of Yamato Takeru

It is said that Yamato Takeru founded Mitsumine shrine. When he saw the beautiful mountains and rivers of this area he decided to built the shrine in memory of Izanagi-no-mikoto and Izanami-no-mikoto, the 2 gods said to have created the islands of Japan. The statue itself is 5.2m high and 15m high with the pedestal.

Yōhaiden

The Yōhaiden is where you "yōhai", worship from distance, the Okumiya, rear shrine, located on the top of Mount Myōhō which is about an 1 hour and 30 minutes walk by mountain trail.

It is the only place you can see the landscape below the mountain and you can have a panoramic view of the Chichubu basin. It is also a famous point for seeing a sea ​​of ​​clouds.

Okumiya

The Okumiya is the rear shrine of Mitsumine shrine, built in 1741, located on the top of Mount Myōhō.

It is about an 1 hour 30 minutes, 2.5km, walk from the trailhead near Mitsumine municipal parking. Some mountaineering equipment is needed since it is a steep mountain trail. The trail opens on the 3rd of May and closes in the 9th of October.

Mitsuminesan museum and Mitsumine shinryō house

Near the entrance of the main path to the shrine there is the Mitsuminesan museum. Items related to the cult of Mitsuminesan and treasures owned by the shrine are displayed here.

Entrance fee is ￥300 for general public. Opening hours are from 9am to4pm.

Near Mitsumine municipal parking is the Mitsumine shinryō house. People actually lived in this house, until it was relocated here in 1979 for preservation. It used to be in the south side of the shrine where used to be a sacred area owned by the shrine.