Hakusan Shrine on Mt. Asuwa, Fukui

Tiny little mountain shrine off the beaten path

Takako Sakamoto Nov 03, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>This is the first view I had of Hakusan Shrine on the hillside of Mount Asuwa</p>

<p>Stone marker of Hakusan Shrine with lined tiny stone shrines in the background</p>

<p>Stone torii gate of Hakusan Shrine...it looks very old!</p>

<p>Golden signage of Hakusan Shrine hanging on the stone torii gate</p>

<p>Looking up at the stone torii gate of Hakusan Shrine</p>

<p>Wow! They look so disciplined and organized!</p>

<p>Close-up look at one of the guardian dog statues</p>

<p>Small stone shrines have mossy roofs on their heads!</p>

<p>Stone carving of the Goddess of Mercy and two tiny guardian dogs...how cute!</p>

<p>This is probably the water purification font. Only the letters indicating it was created in 1860 can be read.</p>

<p>The other guardian dog sitting sheepishly at the foot of a stone lantern</p>

<p>Torii gate seen from inside the small shrine grounds</p>

The other day I visited Fujishima Shrine on Mount Asuwa in Fukui. After talking with the head priest and taking some photos, I went down the mountain path to visit Kurotatsu Shrine, another shrine on the mountain. On my way down, I noticed an open space beside the trail. Although the sun was setting, I couldn't resist the temptation to explore. I found a very small shrine with a relatively dignified stone torii gate at the entrance. It stood silently in the woods, looking almost ready to collapse, but I saw offerings in front of some small stone shrines, which indicates people visit from time to time. Anyway, I liked how it looked and it was a nice addition to my day's exploration!

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...