Togakushi

The highlight of the Togakushi Shrines is the journey to Upper Shrine. The destination is a beautiful shrine with some cool lore by itself, but it's the journey to get there that makes it special. It's broadly divided into three segments. The first torii gate welcomes us to a gently uphill but wide and very straight gravel path. We see some hints of the cryptomera, kind of as a spoiler, but the iconic Zuishinmon Gate with a thatched roof captured by flora welcomes us to the domain of the cryptomera. These are massive, hundreds-year-old cedar trees lining the way. If you want to feel small, but inspired, this is it! The final part sees a steeply uphill section with mostly stone steps leading up to the Oku-sha (Upper Shrine) itself by the mountainside of Mount Togakushi. The journey to Chū-sha (Middle Shrine) is much more brief, nestled right in the middle of a settlement, but the 700 year old tree and pretty staircase do lead up to a rather beautiful shrine.

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