51 Suzugaoka, Tsubota, Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture
Rating
Cost per person
¥500
Suzugaoka Hachiman Shrine, located about 3.5 km from JR Soma Station in Fukushima Prefecture, features an impressive torii gate and Shinji Bridge over a Hojo pond. The shrine is particularly beautiful during cherry blossom season, with a stunning avenue of cherry trees along the approach to the shrine. The grounds, surrounded by a moat, house several nationally designated Important Cultural Properties. Don't miss the giant Meoto Sugi (husband and wife cedars), a natural monument of Soma City, and the sacred "Enmusubi no Kaya" (marriage-knot kaya tree). One of the Meoto Sugi was felled in a previous typhoon, but the remaining tree is still impressive. The Enmusubi no Kaya is a unique tree where two kaya trees are connected by a single branch.