Oct 27, 2013 - 1 min read

Matsubara Shrine, Saga

An enchanting surprise

By Senén Germade

Community writer

Huge red lanterns at Matsubara Shrine.

The Matsubara Shrine main hall.

Many Shinto shrines are places of intense calm with beautiful gardens.

This place possesses a deeply spiritual atmosphere.

At a Japanese shrine you often find statues of animals such as foxes or horses. These aren't statues of kami (gods) but of animals that serve the kami in various ways.

A succession of lanterns indicate the path to the shrine's main hall.

A man walking through the forest of lanterns under the rain. The night is approaching.

The girl with the umbrella looks very small in comparison with the impressive red lanterns.

It was during my stay in Saga when I found unintentionally this beautiful shrine. It was raining outside. I was taking a cup of hot coffee and reading Saga tourist leaflets. Then the rain stopped for a while and I decided to have a short walk and visit Saga Shrine among other attractions in the city. But once there what caught my attention was Matsubara Shrine and its huge lanterns painted in red. I couldn’t find much information about this shrine. There’s nothing written about it in any tourist leaflet I’ve got and not much written on internet neither. Anyway, if you are in Saga, it’s worth a look.

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Senén Germade

By Senén Germade

Community writer

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