Mori Minashi Hachiman Shrine

A short walk from Gero's hot spring district, Mori Minashi Hachiman Shrine sits in spacious grounds shaded by sugi trees. Inside, ten wooden deity figures carved in the twelfth century by Hida-region artisans stand between 30 and 60 centimeters tall. They are kept behind a locked door but remain the focus of visitors' respect. Every February 14th, the shrine holds its Tanokami Matsuri festival, an Intangible Cultural Property, where young people wear large flower-covered conical hats and perform traditional dengaku dance to welcome spring and pray for a good harvest.