This shrine is constructed halfway up Mt. Utatsu. It is said that the second lord, Maeda Toshinaga, built the shrine and dedicated it to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.    Surrounded by a dense forest, a great silence reigns over the flight of stone steps that leads to the shrine and its precincts. It is quiet and cool here, even in summer, and it makes an ideal place for a walk.    There is an iris garden at the entrance to the stone stairs. The garden contains over 200 varieties of 200,000 iris flowers, and they are in full bloom from mid June to mid July. This is also when the Hyakuman goku Matsuri (One Million Koku Festival) is held.

Back

---