4 Best Sights in Takachiho, Kyushu

A dark but deeply spiritual place, this huge cave faces onto a small river. According to the local legends, the gods gathered here to figure out how to get Amaterasu out of her cave. Although not a Shinto practice, visitors now pile stones on top of each other to leave their wishes, with little stone piles creating an otherworldly atmosphere.

This shrine is located near the cave where the sun goddess Amaterasu hid until Ame-no-Uzume managed to lure her out. If you apply at the entrance, a Shinto priest will take you into the sacred precinct from where you can look across the valley towards the cave.

One of Kyushu's most famous sights, this photogenic narrow gorge has several small waterfalls cascading into the Gokase River. You can walk along a hiking path at the edge or rent a rowboat from the riverside jetty below the parking lot (from ¥4,000).

The shrine is surrounded by a grove of old cedars. A pair of trees, that stand side by side, are known as the Wedded Cedars. A sacred shimenawa (twisted straw rope) hangs between the two trees. The presence of this romantic tree couple has made the shrine popular with those praying from match-making. Kagura is an ancient ritual dance to give thanks to the gods that has been performed since ancient times. These days it is performed throughout the night in homes between December and January. An excellent one-hour performance can be seen nightly at 8 pm at Kagura Hozonkan, on the grounds of Takachiho Shrine.