Kehi jingu

Kehi Shrine, located in the center of Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, has been enshrined at this site for over 2,000 years.

There is a large street in front of the shrine with a bronze statue of the Sand-Carrying Ritual. A large red Myojin Torii stands at the entrance.

This large torii, previously designated as a National Treasure, is about 11 meters tall and was originally built in 810 AD on the eastern approach. It has been rebuilt several times due to disasters, with the current structure, built in 1645 on the west gate, made from wood sourced from Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. It is now designated as an Important Cultural Property.

Passing through the red torii, a 50-meter approach continues. The trees along the path cover it with branches, and pigeons walk beside it. Beyond the path, a bright, open area with a second torii, a statue of Matsuo Basho, plum trees, a pond, and an eucalyptus tree designated as a natural monument can be seen. Snow from the previous day was lightly spread across the ground.

Beyond the second torii, the shrine buildings are surrounded by a fence. A stone-paved path runs through the center of the gravel, with several auxiliary shrines on the left and a gate with a chrysanthemum crest on the right. The shrine's columns are painted red, and the walls are pure white. The gabled roof extends horizontally in a cascade-like shape, with the raised floor of the main shrine visible behind the worship hall.

At the back, there is a structure with Chigi and Katsuogi. In Nagano Prefecture, shrines with Chigi and Katsuogi on the shrine buildings are typically marked by a Shinmei torii at the site. I thought all such shrines had horizontal Shimaki and two Shimaki of the Shinmei torii. However, Kehi Shrine's entrance has a Myojin torii with four support pillars, Shimaki, and Kasaki, which felt refreshing to me.