Torii gates lined the secondary approach to Otaru Sumiyoshi Jinja, which looked like a tunnel

Torii at the secondary approach to Otaru Sumiyoshi Shrine

I got off the train at Minami-Otaru Station and simply walked up the hill in front of the station. After a while, a large torii gate appeared at the end of a planted median strip. It is the torii of Otaru Sumiyoshi Jinja Shrine, but you would be mistaken if you think that you can reach the shrine immediately after you see the torii. The grounds of Otaru Sumiyoshi Shrine are large, and it is still a long way from the torii gate standing on the side of Route 5 to the shrine pavilion. The shrine grounds are just as one would expect in Hokkaido, where there is plenty of land.

The approach to the shrine is not only long, but also dotted with interesting features along the way. The hand-watering basin was decorated with colorful flowers floating in the bowl, which seems to be the latest trend, and there were brightly colored vermilion torii gates. The photo above shows the secondary approach torii gates. Although it is located right next to the main approach, the path with this torii gate is called the secondary approach.

There is also a monument to Matsuo Basho's haiku (haiku poems). For a moment, I wondered if Matsuo Basho had visited Hokkaido on his way to Oku no Hosomichi, but that is not true. Otaru must not have been within the sphere of influence of the Japanese during Matsuo Basho's lifetime.

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