Last Updated: May 3, 2024

Ibaraki’s Oiwa Shrine

A Hidden Gem Up in Hitachi City

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium.

Welcome back to another off-of-the-beaten-path adventure in Japan. This time, we’ll be taking a look at Oiwa Shrine. Located up in the northernmost part of Ibaraki Prefecture, this sanctum has existed deep in the mountains of the Hitachi Alps since ancient times. Considered to be one of Japan’s so-called “power spots,” Oiwa Shrine is a sacred site that is perfect for those of you who love exploring hidden gems and enjoying nature. While certainly not something that I’d recommend to first time visitors, Oiwa Shrine is exactly the type of attraction that I envision when speaking of a different side of Japan.

Historically, no one really knows when Oiwa Shrine was first created. The earliest written records that we have date from over 1,300 years ago. Alas, this is also around the time that written language entered Japan along with Buddhism. Thus, we really don’t have much to go on before that. According to archeological evidence, it seems that Oiwa Shrine has been an important religious center for the people of Hitachi Province since as far back as the Jomon period (14,000–300 BCE). Blessed by some truly beautiful nature, it’s easy to feel the legacy of the ages in the air as you meander about.