A venerable power spot with a history spanning over a thousand years.

The enshrined deity, Hotakami-no-Mikoto, is the ancestral god of the sea god clan, and it is said that his descendants, the Azumi clan, migrated from far-off northern Kyushu to the land of Shinano and established this area. The shrine is listed as a Myojin Taisha (a major shrine) in the Engishiki Jinmyocho (a list of shrines compiled in 927), and has long been revered by the imperial court. The main shrine is located in Hotaka, Azumino City, the inner shrine is on the shore of Myojin Pond in Kamikochi, and the mountaintop shrine is on the summit of Mt. Okuhotaka, the main peak of the Northern Alps, hence it is also called the "guardian shrine of the Japanese Alps." The "Koyo Sugi" (filial piety cedar), which is over 500 years old and stands next to the Kagura-den (sacred dance hall), is famous as a power spot. The zelkova tree standing west of the Wakamiya (lower shrine) is also known for appearing in Yasushi Inoue's novel "Keyaki no Ki" (The Zelkova Tree). The "Te-nade Mairi" (hand-stroking pilgrimage), in which visitors stroke the stainless steel "Dōsojin" (roadside guardian deity), is said to bring benefits such as health and longevity, matchmaking, and marital harmony, and is bustling with worshippers. At the "Mifune Kaikan," visitors can admire the floats (dashi) pulled during the annual festival and the elaborate doll decorations, and in December, approximately 10,000 bamboo lanterns illuminate the temple grounds in a magical way.

6079 Hotaka, Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture 399-8303
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・Approximately 7 minutes on foot from JR Oito Line Hotaka Station