Akagi Shrine – Year of its establishment is unknown
Located almost in the center of Gunma, Mt Akagi overlooks the entire prefecture. Akagi Shrine worships Mt. Akagi.
In spite of its location in the middle of ”Tosando” road which is far from the capital, the name of the shrine appears in old central documents written in early 800. Since the shrine was built to worship the old mountain, it is believed that it was established long before that.
During the Edo period, the first Shogun (Tokugawa, Ieyasu) became the object of worship after his death, and so Shogun families and feudal lords came to the shrine to pray. It is also said that the third Shogun (Tokugawa, Iemitsu) himself ordered that the main building be rebuilt, which shows the important role the shrine played for the Shogun family.
Enjoying the four seasons
Nakata visited the shrine at dusk in early summer. The rain had just stopped, and we could see the evening sun. There was a beautiful reflection of the sun on Onuma Lake, located next to the shrine, and we could also see a mountain range including Mt. Akagi in the background. Impressed with the quiet, serene view that couldn’t be seen in the city, Nakata commented, ”Just beautiful”. After his walk, Nakata received a religious service in the vermilion-painted main building.
Different flowers bloom at different seasons, and so there will be different colors at different times in Mt. Akagi. In the winter when flowers aren’t in bloom, it will be covered by white snow. Many people visit Mt. Akagi just wanting to see its mystic appearance. Akagi Shrine is representative of the many locations throughout Japan where they worship mountains. Many people, young and old, are drawn by the powerful presence of Mt. Akagi and the nature that surrounds it.
