Shinmei-sha

What it is

• A local Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami.
• Designated as a village shrine in 1873 to serve the Sanmai-cho area.
• Consolidated three other local shrines into its grounds in 1925.
• Managed by the Terumoto family who also serve as priests for Kumano Shrine.

What to see

• A wooden main hall with a traditional thatched roof reconstructed in 1986.
• A stone staircase consisting of forty-four steps leading up to the grounds.
• A dedicated dance hall used for performances and local ceremonies.
• A stone purification font where visitors can perform ritual cleansing.
• Shrine grounds spanning approximately three hundred and twenty-three tsubo.

When to go

• The annual festival takes place every year around October 7th.

Notes written by Japan Gems from facts in Japanese Wikipedia.