Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine, Shinto shrine in Japan
Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine is a traditional Shinto shrine in the countryside of Takamori, surrounded by tall cedar trees and old stone lanterns. The sanctuary features a simple wooden building at the end of a 270-step stone staircase and is anchored by a natural rock arch called Ugetoiwa with a large opening through it.
The shrine is part of a network of three thousand Kumano shrines that share stories about Japanese gods and spirits. Local legend connects the Ugetoiwa rock to a demon named Kihachi who kicked a hole through the mountain while escaping from an angered deity.
The shrine is dedicated to the divine couple Izanami and Izanagi, who created the islands of Japan in Japanese mythology. Visitors can see Nagi leaves displayed as symbols of good marriage, as their veins flow in only one direction, and they are carried by pilgrims as signs of peace.
You can walk up the stairs to the shrine or take a steeper road if stairs are difficult to climb. The site has a parking lot and restroom facilities, and buses run from Kumamoto to Takamori with short taxi rides available from there to the shrine.
The shrine gained widespread attention after being featured in a popular manga called 'Hotarubi no Mori e,' which drew many new visitors to the site. The stone lanterns along the path were donated in the 1960s and carry carved dates that tell the story of when they were placed.
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