Exploring Nagatoro (Part 2 of 3)

After looking, touching, and appreciating the tatami mat rocks for an hour, it was time to head back to the train station to pick up some more Hike it Baby families.  We could have stayed longer as it was very fascinating, but we needed to continue on.

When the whole group was gathered, we consisted of 6 adults and 6 kids.  There were both familiar and new faces, which is always so nice.  The kiddos ranged in age from 2 to 9.

As a group, we walked up to Hodosan Jinja, a shrine within a 10 minute walk of Nagatoro station.  It is a beautiful shrine known for the colorful sculptures carved into the main building.

Built in 110 A.D., the shrine is said to have been constructed by a Prince after surviving a fire on the mountain.  In the story, the Prince and his army try to fight the fire, but end up being saved by a pack of dogs that are spirits and then led to the top of the mountain.  After this experience the Prince built the shrine and enshrined three God - Kamu-yamato-iware-biko-no-Mikoto (Emperor Jimmu, who founded Japan), O-yama-tsumi-no-Kami (Mountain Deity), and Ho-musu-bi-no-Kami (Fire Deity).

Today over a million people go to the shrine to pray for their family's safety, prosperity in business, protection from fire and robbery, traffic safety, and good fortune with money, among other things, every year.

Although the main shrine is super beautiful, it isn't the only thing to see.  There are actually several other shrines on the premises to view and ask for guidance on a whole variety of topics.  The group separated and came back together as we explored the shrine.

It was a great place to start our adventure together.

To be continued...