Mountain forest, mountain climb.

Start of the climb.

Bridge and stream and waterfall and shrine.

600-year-old Pagoda.
It is made of wood without the
use of a single nail.

The beginning of every school year is marked by a climb up 2,446 stone steps to a shrine and temple complex. The beginning of the climb is actually a descent into a Cedar forest. At the bottom you cross a small bridge with a waterfall on the right. Then you start the climb with the Pagoda on your left. It's quite a time with all 900+ students carrying on. Class pictures are taken at the top. The new students get a Shinto ceremony to bless there school life. Finally, we all go back down the mountain.