Hokosha Shrine

Established in 1058, Hokosha is the oldest shrine building among the five shrines of Togakushi, with its current structure dating to 1861. Inside, the walls are carved with all twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, and at the center stands a stage for kagura, a sacred dance reenacting the myth of the sun goddess Amaterasu hiding in a cave. According to legend, the stone that blocked the cave's entrance was thrown so far it landed here and became the Togakushi mountains. Every six years, one of the two portable shrines in the large wooden storehouse is carried to Chusha Shrine for the Shikinentaisai festival, a ritual reunion between the gods enshrined at each location.