Kushifuru Shrine

Kushifuru Shrine stands on the mountaintop where mythology holds that Ninigi no Mikoto, grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, descended from the heavens carrying a mirror, a jewel, and a sword. Those three objects became Japan's imperial regalia. The shrine was not built until 1694, after centuries during which the mountain was considered too sacred to mark with structures. Seventeen villages collaborated on its construction with support from a senior Tokugawa official. Intricate wood carvings from the 17th and 18th centuries, including dragon and phoenix motifs, adorn the main sanctuary.