Hayama-jinja Shrine and Isono-jinja Shrine

Two shrines share Mt. Ishimine in Miyagi Prefecture, each with a distinct character. Hayama-jinja, established in the Muromachi period, received patronage from Date Masamune and is home to Ogatsu Hoin Kagura, a tradition of masked dance and music performed for the gods, designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The shrine was destroyed in the 2011 tsunami and fully rebuilt by 2019. A 40-minute hike up through cedar forest leads to Isono-jinja, established in the Nara period, where a large boulder shaped like an aristocratic Heian-period cap has drawn ascetics and worshippers for centuries. The shrine is dedicated to a deity that protects travelers.