A red torii gate at the top of stone stairs leading to a shrine
Photo by Eva Balogh on Unsplash
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How to Find a Hidden Shinto Shrine Just Around the Corner

Kenji is standing on a quiet street in Japan.

He wants to visit a Shinto shrine that is about one kilometre away.

He does not know the way, so he asks a man nearby for help.

The man is very friendly and happy to give directions.

He points down the main road and says, "Walk straight ahead."

After about two hundred metres, there is a large park on the left.

Kenji should turn left at the park and follow the path through the trees.

The man explains that the path is easy to walk and very peaceful.

At the end of the path, there is a small wooden bridge over a stream.

Kenji should cross the bridge and then turn right.

He will see a tall red torii gate, which marks the entrance to the shrine.

The man says the whole walk takes about fifteen minutes on foot.

He also mentions that the shrine is very old and quite beautiful.

Kenji thanks the man and starts walking in the right direction.

A few minutes later, he can already see the tops of the trees around the shrine.