Togakushi Shrine 戸隠神社中社

Grandeur of nature and shrines

Togakushi Shrine is actually a series of five shrines at the foot of Mount Togakushi above Nagano City. Walking between each of the shrines takes form 20 to 40 minutes on paved roads and rocky paths. Be sure to wear sturdy footwear. The shrine claims that the site's founding was over 2000 years ago, and about 1200 years ago, the mountain ascetic practice of Shugendo was established here. On the paths and up the mountain you might spot Shugensha in ritual robes. The various shrines and thatched roof gates are impressive enough, but the cedar trees that line the path to Okusha are majestic in their own right. The colonnade of 400-900 year old trees stretches for two kilometers. In 2000, the shrine dedicated a new torii gate to ward off the pandemic. The new gate stands in front of Chusha in the village center.