Togakushi Stories on the road japan-guide.com

As a travel writer and photographer, I spend about half of my time traveling for work. And when I'm not working, I'm constantly looking for places where I can disconnect. Being a city girl, the countryside offers a welcome break and a breath of fresh air, literally. I first heard about this place from a friend who couldn't stop talking about it from the I was curious to see and wanted to experience the same thing that captivated my friend in the mountainous region of Togakushi in northern Nagano prefecture. One of the most important stories in Japanese mythology has it that Amaterasu, the sun goddess, hid in a cave in Kyushu in southern Japan as she was furious with her brother's pranks and thereby plunging the world into darkness. A number of gods gathered before the cave and came up with a plan to lure the sun goddess out by dancing in front of the cave door. When Amaterasu took a peek out of the cave door to see what was going on, one of the gods who was waiting grabbed the stone door and flung it away. And this was how light was restored to the world. Now, the stone door which was flung into space landed somewhere in the middle of Japan and Mount Togakushi is said to be that door. Togakushi shrine is made up of three shrines, Okusha, the upper shrine, Chusha, the middle shrine, and Hokosha, the lower shrine. A two kilometer cedar tree lined approach leads the way to the upper shrine, the most impressive of the three, and it took about 30 minutes to make my way through the approach slowly. The upper shrine is devoted to the deity who grabbed and threw the stone door and many come here to pray for good fortune and the fulfillment of prayers. The style of offering prayers at Togakushi shrine and many other shrines in Japan is typically two bows, two claps, and one bow. Over at the middle shrine, one typically walks past a couple of centuries old trees before reaching the main hall. One tree is said to be over 800 years old and the other over 700. It felt so amazing to see such old trees that have lived for centuries and I briefly wondered what stories they could tell us if trees could talk. This middle shrine is devoted to the deity who came up with the dance plan to lure the sun goddess out. Because of that deity's brilliance, many believe that prayers for educational and business successes are especially effective here. Almost 300 stone steps lead up to the lower shrine. The flight of stairs are flanked by trees and provides the perfect lead up to the main hall which is decorated with intricate wooden carvings. This main hall is also the oldest of the three main shrines of Togakushi. As I walked up in the mist and rain, I felt like I was transported into another world, one that was at the same time familiar yet mysterious. The lower shrine is devoted to the child of the deity worshipped at the middle shrine and as such prayers for smooth pregnancies and protection for women and children are common here. Two other shrines between the main ones round up Togakushi shrine. They are Kuzuryu shrine beside the upper shrine which is dedicated to the god of water and whom many pray to for rain and Hinomiko shrine near the lower shrine which is devoted to four deities including the one whose dance piqued the sun goddess' curiosity. Walking trails through the forest connect all five shrines and those who take them will get to see the local flora and some quaint residences along the way. The approach to the upper shrine for me is the most beautiful and calming approaches I've seen. Tall centuries-old cedar trees line the path and if I close my eyes I can almost feel myself being enveloped in the natural energy radiating from them, kind of like a form of spiritual grounding. Coming here was as incredible as my friend had said it would be. I got to see the shrines at my own pace, spent some time surrounded by nature lost in my thoughts and saw a little bit of countryside Japan. Interestingly the remote and mountainous Togakushi area is also known for its Togakure school of ninja skills but that's another story for another day. For now I'm refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to take on the world again. How to get to Togakushi? There are a couple of ways to access Togakushi. The closest major station is Nagano station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen and from there you can get to Togakushi by rental car or local bus. We hope you've enjoyed this video. For more information or to watch another video click the links on the screen now or head to japan-guide.com, your comprehensive up-to-date travel guide first-hand from Japan. Thanks for watching, be sure to subscribe and click the notification bell for more videos about Japan.