神前神社, Shinto shrine in Japan
Kamizaki Shrine is a Shinto sanctuary located on a hilltop in Ise, built in the traditional Shinmei-zukuri style with simple wooden structures. Tall trees surround the grounds, and from above visitors can look out toward Ise Bay and the surrounding landscape.
This shrine is one of the inner sanctuaries of Ise and was built before the year 927. According to tradition, the site was established by Yamatohime-no-Mikoto, an imperial princess, and has remained an important place of local devotion ever since.
This shrine honors Arasaki Hime, a goddess associated with the sea and coastal protection. The hilltop location overlooking the bay reflects how local people have long connected their prayers to the rhythms of the ocean and the natural world around them.
Access to the shrine grounds involves climbing about 280 stone steps along a woodland path. The walk is manageable on foot, offering fresh air and quiet surroundings, and is especially pleasant on clear days when the views open up.
Three separate shrines sit on the same hilltop: the main sanctuary alongside two smaller branch shrines dedicated to Komori and Arasaki, each honoring its own deity. This clustering of multiple worship sites on a single mountain is uncommon and shows how believers over centuries saw this location as a spiritual focal point.
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