Hinomisaki-jinja

The bus along the coast to the westernmost peninsula of Shimane stopped near a granite torii. I knew about Hinomisaki-jinja from Lafcadio Hearn’s visit in 1891, but I did not expect such a contrast between the splendour of this joyful vermilion red shrine and the magnificent shrine of Taisha in its natural brown serenity. Both shrines belong to Japan’s important cultural assets and are very old, or based on old buildings, both are very extensive. In Hinomisaki some buildings are up a steep stair or hidden in the nearby woods.