Torii of Kyushu

This torii is built on the banks of the lake in the tourist town of Yufuin, Oita-ken.

This one and the next torii are in the small coastal city of Usuki, on the same grounds that house the magaibutsu.

The forests of bamboo and deciduous trees filters the light into intense beams that pierce the thick shadows. I can’t describe it well, but these places evoke similar feelings that I felt when I visited the aincent churches in Toledo, Spain.

The shrine at Udo Jingu resides inside of a cave on the Miyazaki coastline. I recommend going just before it closes. There are fewer people at this time, which is always a nice thing. I got goosebumps walking through the cave and looking at the ancient shrine with the auto focus light on my camera.

This one is also on the grounds of Udo Jingu, on the way up a forgotten stairway to some ruins on the top of a hill.

A lava floe forced the residents of Sakura-jima, in Kagoshima-ken, to flee for their lives. Days before, the water started to bubble, and dead fish floated to the shores of the volcanic island. Those wise enough to heed the warning escaped. This torii stands next to an elementary school on the island, mostly buried in magma that has frozen into volcanic rock.

This torii stands in front of a shrine on the entrance to Iso Teien.

Tucked away in the gardens of Iso Teien, on the outskirts of Kagoshima city, is this Torii that serves as the entrance to the tombs of members of the Shimadzu clan.

A strangely pruned tree sits in front of a shrine in Kagoshima. I think it’s supposed to be a bird.