Yahiko Shrine

Most shrines in Japan ask for two claps. At Yahiko the custom is four: bow twice, clap four times, bow once, though the shrine says two claps are fine too. Locals call the god here Oyahiko-sama, and the shrine has long been ranked first in the old province of Echigo. Its halls sit at the foot of Mount Yahiko, the mountain itself rising behind the worship hall, and the inner sanctuary is on the 634 m summit. The present buildings date from 1916; fire destroyed the earlier ones in 1912. The shrine's great torii, about 30 m tall, was built in 1982 and was the tallest in Japan when it went up. The treasure hall (300 yen) holds swords and a prayer written by Uesugi Kenshin, but check before you go: it closes on Mondays and through all of January and February. From beside the main hall a free shuttle bus runs two minutes to the ropeway, and the cabin climbs to the summit in about five minutes, with the Sea of Japan on one side and the Echigo Plain on the other. From November 1 to 24 the chrysanthemum festival fills the grounds with potted displays, and some car parks start charging.