Niusakadono Jinja Shrine
This quiet building enshrines Niutsuhime, the guardian goddess of Koyasan. According to legend, the mountain behind the shrine is where the goddess first descended to earth. The shrine is believed to be one of the first in Japan to offer sake to the gods.
The shrine is thought to have originally been built here during the middle of the Heian period (794–1185). It was established in its current iteration in 1873, serving and being run by three local communities.
In front of the shrine is a towering gingko tree, said to be over 800 years old, which turns the grounds into a sea of yellow when it drops its leaves during the fall.
Niusakadono Shrine is a 25-minute walk from Myoji Station. It is the starting point of the challenging Mitanizaka Trail that leads to Niutsuhime Shrine, just over a mountain pass.