After a 3-hour ride, we arrived at Amano Iwato Shrine in Takachiho built near a cave where Amaterasu (Shinto sun goddess) was hiding from her brother’s cruel pranks, depriving the world of her life-giving light. We had a tour of the cave by a priest. The path to the cave has thousands of stone statues piled along it. Amaterasu deprived light from the world until another female deity performed a lively dance that made the other gods laugh so hard that Amaterasu emerged to find out why.

Another adventure – cook your lunch over an open fire!

Next was an invigorating hike of the Takachiho Gorge 23 floors down then back up. It is stunning natural beauty, with draw dropping cliffs and waterfalls.