Untouched by the busyness of everyday life, Togakushi is a sacred spiritual spot located on Mt. Togakushi blessed with abundant nature and a rich culture that is thousands of years old. As you walk through a primeval forest on a path that is lined with giant cedar trees of over 400 years old, you can see the sunlight spilling out between them which makes this place truly magical. After a while, you’ll see a red gate called Zuishinmon which marks the halfway point of the path to the upper shrine. The red color of the gate immediately catches your eye among the green and earthy colors of the nature that surrounds it.

The Legend of the Hiding Door

The spiritual connections come from Togakushi’s history. According to an important story in Japanese mythology, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu become so furious with her little brother that she hid herself inside a cave. With the Sun Goddess gone, the world plunged into darkness, so the other gods had to devise a plan to get her out again. 

One goddess started doing a funny dance and the laughter she heard outside made Amaterasu curious. She peeked out, and at that moment one of the gods grabbed the cave’s door and quickly threw it away. The door flew all the way to Nagano Prefecture and landed in a forested area which was thus named Togakushi, or “Hiding Door”.

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