Yahiko is a city perfectly structured for a Shrine Photography Tour. From the moment you pass through the torii, or outer temple grounds gate, a sense of calm washes over you. One of Yahiko Shrine’s appeals is the extended path leading to the shrine’s main hall. In any season, the path is an extravaganza of photo worthy locations for you to enjoy. The shrine’s founding dates back to pre-historic times. The founding date is lost to history, but even in the Nara period, which spanned the years 710 - 784, the shrine was referred to as "ancient" in a poem called the Man'yōshū. Samurai, artisans, geisha, craftsmen, and other important Japanese people have visited the shrine for guidance for thousands of year.
The outer gate cannot be missed. Standing at 6 meters (nearly 20 feet), the vivid red gate serves two purposes. It is the official entrance to the shrine’s grounds as well as a line of demarcation between the outside world of bustle and distraction and the world of spiritual healing and peace. On JDS Japan Photo Tours, you are encouraged to immerse yourself in the moment, to breath in the calm and peace that the area surrounding the shrine provides. I find that areas around shrines and temples provide the best mindsets to take amazing photos.
The first piece of the Yahiko Shrine legacy beyond the outer gate is a small bridge that used to be part of the original Yahiko Shrine as it stood during the Meiji Period. Remodeling changed the front of Yahiko Shrine’s main hall location, but a bridge devoted to allowing the gods that inhabited the shrine as protectors for years remains. Each season brings a different perspective the bridge can provide your viewfinder.
The deity for which the shrine was constructed is called the Ame-no-Kaguyama-no-Mikoto (天香山命). The ancient folklore tells the story that the god descended from the heavens to protect the region and supply the residents in the Niigata, then Echigo region, with skills for fishing, rice cultivation and harvest. These skills are staples of modern day Niigata, as the prefecture is famous in Japan and worldwide for having the best rice as well as amazing fishing, and there are ample opportunities to sample the delicious treasures from the Sea of Japan.
As you trek deeper onto the shrine’s grounds, you will be greeted by an amazing natural landscape unfolding all around you as you are caressed by the healing power of shinrin-yoku, or forest therapy. While you take numerous gallery worthy photos, you will feel the beneficial elements of exploring the forest, an extra benefit while on your Niigata Private Photo Tour. As you scale the gently graded stone steps to the main hall of the temple, if you glance backwards you may enjoy the view of the forest on either side of the path, the gate, and the seemingly endless forest.
Being a Niigata local means knowing about the smaller attractions that come as part of the shrine photography experience. Yahiko’s founding legend is tied to a philosopher’s tree. On the grounds of the shrine, there is a sacred tree slightly away from main hall. It can easily be missed if you are not paying attention or know what to look for, but leave that to me. Your JDS Niigata Photo Workshop Leader will lead you directly to it, so everyone can pay their respects to the mystical tree and record it as part of your experience. The tree is believed to have been what dictated the direction of the shrine. And there is yet one more adventure you can enjoy. There is small platform with two stones resting on it. If you can easily raise the stones with your wish in mind, your wish will be granted, but if the stone takes substantial effort, then you will have to find another method for your wish to be fulfilled. We have always wished for unforgettable photos, and we have yet to be disappointed.
There’s more to see and photograph. This is only the beginning of a Yahiko Niigata Photo Tour Adventure!