Beautiful shrine and gardens. Stunning red gates and temples. A hidden gem for tourists who don’t want the lines of Kyoto.

We went during the week and even though the cherry blossoms were out in places like Hirosaki that wasn't the case here so maybe that is why we had the place to ourselves. The gardens by the Torri gates are simply beautiful. There was some rain so we grabbed shelter on the stairs of the shrine by the gates. It was magical listening to the rain, the stream, the birds and even the very noisy toad plus the setting was beautiful. The walk through the Torri gates wasn't too long and we had fun looking at all of the old fox statues. The downside is all of the stairs you must go up and then down but they do have another pathway for those who may not like stairs but this pathway is not always paved and can be steep at points. The shrines at the top of the stairs were nice to look at and I am so delighted we got to this spot. Also, when leaving the car par on the right you will see a steep road up a hill. Do go up, and not just for the bathrooms, because there us a look out tower that gives a great view of the area and the sea. It is a memorial to an American military accident during a storm in which 19 men died but the locals were able to rescue 4 of the crew. That is also worth a look.