Matsuo Shrine

Perched on top of Mt. Matsuo at 360 meters above the village of Inubushi, this shrine traces its founding to 807 and honors the deity Nunakawa-hime, historically linked to the area's weaving tradition. The current thatched-roof sanctuary from 1497 is one of the oldest wooden structures in Niigata Prefecture, its steep roof designed to shed heavy snow. Every May 8, local boys who turned seven that year hike the 3-kilometer mountain trail in a coming-of-age ritual called Nanatsu Mairi, with the entire community helping them reach the summit. There is no road to the shrine.