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as a travel writer and photographer
i spend about half of my time traveling
for work
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and when i'm not working i'm constantly
looking for places where i can
disconnect
being a city girl the countryside offers
a welcome break
and a breath of fresh air literally
i first heard about this place from a
friend who couldn't stop talking about
it from the minute
we met up i was curious to see and
wanted to experience the same
thing that captivated my friend in the
mountainous region of togakshi
in northern nagano prefecture
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one of the most important stories in
japanese mythology
has it that amaterasu the sun goddess
hid in a cave in kyushu
in southern japan as she was furious
with her brother's pranks
and thereby plunging the world into
darkness
a number of gods gathered before the
cave and came up with a plan to lure the
sun goddess out
by dancing in front of the cave door
when amaterasu took a peek out of the
cave door to see what was going on
one of the gods who was waiting grabbed
the stone door
and flung it away and this was how light
was restored to the world
now the stone door which was flung into
space
landed somewhere in the middle of japan
and mount
togakishi is said to be that door
togakushi shrine is made up of three
shrines
okusha the upper shrine chusha the
middle shrine
and hokosha the lower shrine a two
kilometer cedar tree-lined approach
leads the way to the upper shrine the
most impressive of the three
and it took about 30 minutes to make my
way through the approach
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slowly
the upper shrine is devoted to the deity
who grabbed and through the stone door
and many come here to pray for good
fortune and the fulfillment of prayers
the style of offering prayers at
togakshi shrine and many other shrines
in japan
is typically two bows
two claps
and one bow
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over at the middle shrine one typically
walks past a couple of centuries old
trees before reaching the main hall
one tree is said to be over 800 years
old
and the other over 700 it felt so
amazing to see such
old trees that have lived for centuries
and i briefly wondered what stories they
could tell us
if trees could talk this middle shrine
is devoted to the deity who came up with
the dance plan to lure the sun goddess
out
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because of that deity's brilliance many
believe that prayers for educational and
business successes
are especially effective here
almost 300 stone steps lead up to the
lower shrine
the flights of stairs are flanked by
trees and provides the perfect
lead up to the main hall which is
decorated with intricate wooden carvings
this main hall is also the oldest of the
three main shrines of togakshi
as i walked up in the mist and rain i
felt
like i was transported into another
world one that was at the same time
familiar
yet mysterious
the lower shrine is devoted to the child
of the deity worshiped at the middle
shrine
and as such prayers for smooth
pregnancies and protection for women and
children a common
year
two other shrines between the main ones
round up togakushi shrine
they are kuzuru shrine beside the upper
shrine
which is dedicated to the ghada water
and her many prey too for rain
and hinomigoshrin near the lower shrine
which is devoted to four deities
including the one whose dance peaked the
sun goddess curiosity
walking trails through the forest
connect all five shrines
and those who take them will get to see
the local flora
and some quaint residences along the way
the approach to the upper shrine for me
is the most beautiful and calming
approaches i've seen
tall centuries-old cedar trees
line the path and if i close my eyes
i can almost feel myself being enveloped
in the natural
energy radiating from them kind of like
a form of spiritual grounding
coming here was as incredible as my
friend had said it would be i got
to see the shrines at my own pace spent
some time surrounded by nature lost in
my thoughts
and saw a little bit of countryside
japan
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interestingly the remote and mountainous
togashi area is also known for its
togakure school of ninja skills
but that's another story for another day
for now i'm refreshed rejuvenated
and ready to take on the world again
how to get to tokakushi there are a
couple of ways to access togakshi
the closest major station is nagano
station on the hokuriku shinkansen
and from there you can get to togashi by
rental car
or local bus
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