Omiwa Shrine
大神神社
Considered one of the oldest shrines in Japan. It has no main sanctuary; worshippers pray directly to Mount Miwa as the object of worship. Its great torii gate stands about 32 meters tall.
Omiwa Shrine takes Mount Miwa behind it as its sacred object of worship, so it has only a worship hall and no main sanctuary. This preserves the original form of ancient mountain worship. It is the ichinomiya of Yamato Province. The great torii gate at the approach stands 32.2 meters tall, making it one of the largest torii in Japan. To climb Mount Miwa, you must register at Sainoi Shrine (about 1,000 yen). Photography and eating are prohibited, and the round trip takes about 2 to 3 hours. Entry to the shrine grounds is free. It is about a 5-minute walk from Miwa Station on JR, or about 30 minutes from Nara Station on the JR Sakurai Line. The area is also the home of Miwa somen noodles.
Opening hours
Grounds open all day; Mount Miwa pilgrimage entry 09:00–12:00
Nearby sights
- Fujiwara Palace Site
- Hase-dera (Sakurai)
- Asuka Village & Ishibutai Kofun
- Kashihara Jingu
- Hokki-ji Temple
- Chugu-ji
- Horyu-ji
- Shin-Yakushi-ji