Oide Shrine

According to legend, villagers climbed Oide Mountain in 703 to investigate strange nightly lights and met a figure near a dragon-shaped rock who told them to found a shrine there. The shrine was eventually moved to its current location at the mountain's base in 929. The present building dates to 1768 and was carved by master craftsmen from Edo, covering nearly every surface except the columns in dense figurative detail. It was one of the earliest examples of this ornate style to appear in this part of Japan. The main festival on September 1st brings out the 150-year-old Oide Kagura Float, which is paraded through town with traditional dance performances.