Ōmiwa Shrine

Ōmiwa Shrine is a religious site in Sakurai, Japan, that sits at the foot of a forested mountain without the usual main hall found in other temples. The complex consists of a worship hall, torii gates, and subsidiary shrines arranged along stone paths through cedar groves.

The site traces its roots to the earliest centuries of Japanese civilization, when rulers honored the mountain as a seat of divine power. During the Heian era, the compound received special rank after the imperial court decreed that important state matters be reported to the resident kami.

Local worshippers treat the mountain as the living body of the god, so prayers take place directly at the worship hall without a sanctum beyond it. Visitors can tie white paper snakes to pine trees, a local custom believed to bring protection and good fortune.

A short walk from Miwa Station through a residential area leads directly to the entrance, with access free and available during daylight hours. The main paved paths are relatively flat, though some side trails may have steep or uneven sections.

A rare triple torii gate called mitsu-torii stands within the restricted area and can only be entered with priestly guidance. This structure links three gates in a geometric form that has not been replicated elsewhere in this manner.