If you walk along the shrine path, you’ll see a thatched gate. It is the Zuishin-mon gate, the oldest, existing architecture at Togakushi Shrine. The building is painted in vermilion to prevent any evil spirits from entering the sanctuary. Statues of Zuishin, guardian gods holding a bow and arrow looking straight ahead, stand on both sides. A pair of Koma-inu dogs are also guarding the gate.
We enter the gate with a bow and turn around to see the path we have just taken. Around the beginning of winter and spring, the sun rises directly above the Zuishin-mon gate. Those are the periods when the daytime is the shortest and the sun is weakest. Perhaps they built the gates here to borrow some power from the sun to overcome the harsh winter of Togakushi.
The area gradually brightens up on frigid dawns, and the bright sun lazily shows itself over the horizon. It may feel like you’re reliving the legend of Amano-Iwato, where Amaterasu came out of hiding. Take a moment to imagine how that would feel.
