Oiwa Shrine
Set in the middle of a lush forest, Oiwa Shrine offers a reverent experience that might remind visitors of the animated film 'Princess Mononoke'. Situated at the base of Mount Oiwa, considered the oldest sacred mountain in Hitachi Province (present-day Ibaraki prefecture), Oiwa Shrine is a revered site within Ibaraki and is celebrated as one of the prefecture's ‘Hundred Scenic Views’.
A brief walk within the shrine grounds reveals the remarkable Three Cedar Trees, the tallest in the municipality of Hitachi, distinguished by their inclusion in the Forestry Agency's ‘100 Forest Giants of Japan’. These towering cedars, which split into three distinct trunks from about 3 metres off the ground, add to the shrine’s atmosphere of vitality and resilience.
Further exploration leads to the shrine's main hall, where 26 deities including Kunitokotachi-no-Mikoto, Izanami-no-Mikoto, and Okuninushi-no-Mikoto are venerated. The entire Mount Oiwa area is a spiritual haven, hosting 188 deities in total, making Oiwa Shrine a focal point for those seeking a connection with the divine in a tranquil natural setting.