Morihisa Shrine and Its Strangler Fig Tree

Morihisa Shrine on Yakushima is dedicated to Taira no Morihisa, a warrior from the twelfth century whose life was spared in Kamakura after he recited the Lotus Sutra with such devotion that a great light reportedly shattered the sword of his would-be executioner. Morihisa later died in 1202 aboard a ship bound for Yakushima, and his spirit was enshrined here. The most visually striking feature of the sanctuary today is a strangler fig tree believed to be over 100 years old, its columnar host tree now hollow. At the right angle, you can look through the hollow trunk from one side to the other.