Visit The Amemiya Shrine And The Totoro Forest In Kumamoto

If you drive down from Hitoyoshi to Kagoshima, you will find mountains covered in trees on the side of the road. The circular-shaped mountain is covered with deep green trees that express the feeling of awe. I found out that some people call this mountain the Totoro mountain.

There is a shrine that stands on a hill in the middle of a rice paddy. It is believed that praying at this shrine brings rain, and it is the subject of a famous tale from Japan’s Sengoku period (15th to 17th century).

Amemiya shrine is located in the rice paddy

The road to Amemiya shrine is in the rice paddy

Amemiya shrine is located in the rice paddy

Signboard to Amemiya shrine is in the rice paddy

The sign to Amemiya shrine is in the rice paddy

The Torii gate to Amemiya shrine is in the rice paddy

Steep steps to Amemiya shrine

There are 114 steps of stone at this shrine. You can pray to the enshrined deity, the high dragon King, the Funadama God and for large amounts of rain.

For your information :

Name of Shrine : Amemiya shrine
Address : Kawabe, Sagara-mura, Kuma-gun, Kumamoto, Japan

Photograph and text by meguru hayata