📍 Kunigami Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa
A nature trail facility where you walk through a forest of unusual rock formations and giant boulders on the slopes of Asumui, a rocky mountain at the northern tip of Okinawa Island. Recorded in historical texts as a sacred site tied to Ryukyu creation myths, it is introduced on Okinawa Prefecture's tourism site as a place drawing attention as a power spot. It is now operated under the name "ASMUI Hikes."
Asumui, a group of four rocky peaks, is said to be the first sacred place created by Amamikyu, the goddess who built the islands of Ryukyu in legend, and it has long been a place of prayer for the royal family and local priestesses. The area is said to contain more than sixty ugansho (prayer sites).
This karst landscape formed as uplifted limestone was eroded, leaving a forest of strange rocks such as the tower-shaped "Goku Rock."
A huge banyan tree said to be one of the largest in Japan.
Offers views of Cape Hedo, the northernmost point of Okinawa Island, and on clear days all the way to Yoron Island.
You can walk themed trekking courses with an audio guide, and a barrier-free course is also available.
⛰️ NatureHokkaido ・ Asahikawa, Hokkaido
A gorge where the Ishikari River flows out of the Kamikawa Basin onto the Ishikari Plain, a scenic spot shaped by strange rock formations and rushing rapids. Hokkaido's official tourism site lists it as a power spot to be visited with reverence, as a place long regarded as sacred by the Ainu.
⛰️ NatureHokkaido ・ Kiyosato, Shari District, Hokkaido
A small pond tucked away deep in a primeval forest north of Lake Mashu. Hokkaido's official tourism site lists it as a power spot, noting that the fallen trees on the bottom, which appear to form a pentagon, look like a sacred barrier protecting the pond.
⛩️ ShrineHokkaido ・ Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Set in a vast forest next to Maruyama Park in Sapporo, this is the chief guardian shrine of Hokkaido. Hokkaido's official tourism site describes it as a place where the energy from Mount Moiwa and Mount Teine is said to meet, and introduces it as one of the leading power spots in Sapporo.
⛩️ ShrineTohoku ・ Towada, Aomori
An ancient shrine standing among cedar trees at the base of the Nakayama Peninsula, which juts out into Lake Towada. It was once worshipped as a sacred site on a par with Osorezan, and Aomori Prefecture's official tourism site introduces it as one of the leading power spots in Tohoku.
⛩️ ShrineTokyo & Around ・ Chichibu, Saitama
One of the Three Shrines of Chichibu, standing on Mount Mitsumine deep in the Chichibu mountains. Saitama Prefecture's website introduces it as "one of the leading power spots in the Kanto region," and it is also known for its rare triple torii gate and mountaintop views of seas of clouds and sunrises.
⛩️ ShrineTokyo & Around ・ Shibuya, Tokyo
A shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, spreading out right next to Harajuku Station in Tokyo. It is wrapped in a deep forest that is hard to believe exists in the city center, and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) introduces Kiyomasa's Well (Kiyomasa-no-ido) in the Inner Garden as a power spot visited by people seeking energy to heal body and mind.
⛩️ ShrineOkinawa ・ Naha, Okinawa
A shrine on a cliff overlooking the sea in Naha, regarded as the foremost of the Eight Shrines of Ryukyu. The Naha City Tourism Association's website introduces it as the starting point of a tour of the Eight Shrines of Ryukyu, which are said to be power spots.
History and what each place is known for are based on the shrine or temple’s official site and on local government and tourism association information. Opening hours, fees and limited-time items are not listed — please check the official site before you go.
