Hikosan Jingū, Shinto shrine in Soeda, Japan
Hikosan Jingū is a jingū on Mount Hiko in Soeda, Japan, made up of several wooden buildings with curved roofs linked by stone steps and pathways. The complex includes gate structures, prayer halls and auxiliary buildings scattered across different levels of the mountain among old cedar and pine trees.
Buddhist monks founded a mountain sanctuary here in the 7th century, which combined both faiths for many centuries. Official recognition as Japan's third jingū came in 1975, marking a major religious elevation.
The name connects mountain nature with divine worship, and visitors today still place incense and paper strips as offerings before the altars. Worshippers pull a thick rope to ring the bell and attract the attention of the revered deities.
A train brings visitors to Soeda, from there a bus continues to the mountain, and free parking spaces are available at Bessho lot. The climb over stone steps requires sturdy footwear and some time, as the path leads through dense forest.
A lecture hall from 1616 displays Momoyama-era architecture and holds the title of Important Cultural Property of Japan. This hall is one of the few buildings that survived the separation of Buddhist and Shinto elements in the 19th century.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
