Some places you just have to visit multiple times to look around. The scenery in front of you may look similar, but depending on the time of year, what you see will sometimes look completely different. Fortunately, there are four seasons in Japan, which are more or less pronounced depending on where you are in the country. Particularly, the further north you go, the more winter shows its cold and white side, dominating the scenery in some parts of the country for a longer period of time. And although I am more of a child of summer, I am also able to appreciate winter and to get excited about snowy and white landscapes. Once the whole area is covered with a blanket of snow, everything seems even more charming and mysterious than usual.
On a wintry trip to the Aizu region in western Fukushima Prefecture, one afternoon we were drifting towards the mountains and from the main road I spotted a familiar red torii, like those often found at the entrances to Shinto shrines. This gate was slightly off the road and just behind it rose a wooded hill. We had come this way before on a previous visit, and then I had already taken a close look at this gate. And also this time I decided to pull off the road quite spontaneously and to stop briefly. We still had quite a lot to do on this day, but I simply had to take a short break here.
From the road you cannot really make out that much, but already there was a stone torii and two stone lanterns called toro, which point to the shrine located behind in the forest. If you look closely, your interest should be aroused already at this point. At least, if you still have a little curiosity stored in your heart.
The fields on both sides of the path were snowed in, but the snow was already off the trees. So there was a dark green silhouette in the background, contrasting strongly with the white snow in front of it. And right in the middle there was that luring red gate, to the side of which, surprisingly, some orange splashes of color showed up as well.
Up close, the orange splashes of color turned out to be persimmon fruits that were still hanging on this tree in the winter. Normally persimmons are harvested in the fall, but for this tree they must have made an exception so that it could now add a very special splash of color in the winter season....
For a moment I stood right in front of the gate and let this sight take effect on me. Hidden further back there in the woods was a small shrine waiting, which probably only receives visitors from time to time. Travelers will stop here rather rarely, I was probably a big exception, and it will most likely only be the residents of the adjacent settlement who pass by here occasionally to pay respect to the kami of the place.
But that's exactly why this gate here seemed so charming and somehow marked the entrance to an enchanted place in the forest. Unfortunately, time was pressing, so I had to postpone exploring what was hidden there in the forest for another visit. But at least this way I already have a destination and a plan for the next time I pass by here in this area again. I'm already looking forward to it...
