Oct 31, 2014 - 1 min read

Hakusan Shrine in the Fukui Forest

A chance encounter with a jewel deep in the woods

By Takako Sakamoto

Community writer

Main prayer hall with tall cedar trees towering over it

This is the first sight I had of the shrine...and of course I went WILD!

Wow! It looks as though the spirits of the mountains live here!

The stone marker of Hakusan Shrine surrounded by tall cedars

The ancient-looking torii gate of Hakusan Shrine

Water purification font

This abandoned purification font doesn't even have water in it...I wonder if anybody visits here?

Cute faces of guardian dogs on the pillar of water purification font. If guardian dogs look so adorable, evil spirits might misunderstand that they are invited instead of being warded off!

Collapsing stone lantern with the water purification font in the background

A guardian dog standing alone at the foot of the mountain

Front view of the prayer hall standing silently in the woods

Look up and you'll find yourself alone in the silent forest

The wooden signage of Hakusan Shrine written by one of the local celebrities, Mr. Hajime Fukuda, a politician

The prayer hall with forest in the background

The guardian dog of the prayer hall has a decent scary look appropriate for his job!

Deep brown of the main prayer hall contrasting clearly with green trees

A while ago I was looking for Tochii Shrine, and got lost. I get lost all the time, but this time I got COMPLETELY lost. There were no road signs, no one to be seen, nothing to indicate where in the world I was. I drove around a small Fukui village for about an hour, and finally spotted a shrine. It wasn't what I was looking for, but it looked so wonderful! My found-by-chance shrine stood in a silent forest as though it was built only for me and had waited for me for centuries. There was no one else there, and I spent mystical, romantic moments with this spiritual shrine all by myself. What bliss!

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Takako Sakamoto

By Takako Sakamoto

Community writer

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Nicole Bauer

Nicole Bauer 10 years ago

I love this kind of shrine in the middle of the forest! Very well captured, thank you!

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Takako Sakamoto

Takako Sakamoto Photographer 10 years ago

Thank you Nicole, it was so beautiful and I was lucky to have found it!

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