Momotaro Jinja Shrine

Momotaro Shrine is built around the Japanese Peach Boy legend, with local tradition placing the story's events on the banks of the nearby Kiso River. The entrance is marked by a peach-shaped torii gate whose inscription plays on puns: saru (leave you) also means monkey, inu (illness) also means dog, and kiji (disaster) also means pheasant, the three animals from the tale. Local sculptor Shoun Asano (1891-1978) created the colorful concrete characters spread around the grounds. A small treasure house holds historical relics related to the Momotaro story. The shrine sits at the foot of Momoyama, a mountain considered sacred since ancient times.