熊野新宮神社, Kumanoshingu Shrine, is not too far from our house. It’s famous around here for its spectacular Japanese Maple trees, which in November turn fire red, yellow, orange, brown, and every shade in between.
We make a point of going there every year, as do many other people.
Temples and shrines are everywhere here. They come in all shapes and sizes, from huge sprawling complexes which take up several hectares, to single buildings sitting on a tiny patch of dedicated land. There are the obvious ones which are located on main streets but I personally love the ones that are tucked off in a copse of trees, that are at the end of a trail up a mountain, or just sitting somewhere in isolation.
Temples are Buddhist. Shrines are Shinto.
