Kaibara Hachiman Shrine

This shrine was founded in 1024 as a Bekku of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine in Kyoto. The current shrine building was rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1585 and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The shrine grounds also contain a three-story pagoda and a bell that are designated as Important Cultural Properties of Hyogo Prefecture, making this an extremely rare shrine in Japan that still conveys the scenery of the time when Shinto and Buddhism were syncretized. The great festival to ward off evil spirits, held every year on February 17th and 18th, is loved by people as "Tamba Kaibara's God of Evil," and is crowded with worshippers from all over the country.