I’d seen photographs of the red torii gates winding toward the Sea of Japan for years. In September 2023, my wife and I finally reached Motonosumi Shrine on our Yamaguchi road trip. The view was even more dramatic in person. Red gates, blue sea, green cliffs—every direction seemed to offer another photograph.
What I remember most is walking between the gates as the light turned orange, and then trying to see a famous sea-spray phenomenon on a very windy headland. The wind was so fierce that I was more concerned about staying steady than getting the perfect picture.
But first, an important update if you are planning a visit now.
Visitor alert — checked November 2026: Motonosumi Shrine’s red torii passage is currently closed for repair work. Nagato’s official tourism association says the restoration is expected to continue until spring 2027 or later, and there is no confirmed reopening date. You may still be able to see the gates from designated outside viewpoints; do not assume that you can walk through them as I did in 2023. Check the latest official access notice before making the trip.
Why Motonosumi Shrine looks so different
The shrine sits on a coastal slope in Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture. A winding line of 123 red torii gates leads down toward the cliffs, with the deep blue Sea of Japan behind them. If you’ve visited Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari, the gates will look familiar—but the setting is completely different.
I had come because of that famous picture. Standing there, the combination felt almost unreal. The gates are beautiful, but it’s the sea behind them that makes the scene unforgettable.
The shrine is said to have been founded in 1955 following a message from a white fox. Visitors come to pray for such things as good fortune, safe journeys at sea and success in business. On our visit I also noticed the little white-fox decorations around the grounds.
The photo angles I enjoyed most
Look down from above the gates
From the higher ground, the shape of the gates becomes clear: a bright red line winding over the green hillside toward the coast. This was an easy place to appreciate the whole scene rather than just the gate directly in front of me.
Looking through the gates toward the sea — a 2023 memory
When the passage was open in 2023, standing inside it gave the view a frame of red posts and beams. It was one of my favorite photographs. This picture is historical, not a claim that the route is open today. The repairs now prevent entry to that passage.
Take a little distance
Stepping back let me see the curve of the entire path. I kept changing positions for just one more photo. The landscape is the real star here.
An orange sky at the end of our visit
As we looked around, the sky gradually turned orange. It was beautiful to see the red gates against that softer light. It is worth noting, though, that current shrine access is restricted to daytime hours; don’t copy my old photographs as a reason to enter after closing.
The famous offering box is gone
Back in 2023, one of the shrine’s unusual features was a donation box perched high above a large torii gate—around six metres up. Visitors tried to throw coins into it. Of course I had to give that a go.
But the elevated box has since been removed, and the tourism association says there are no plans to reinstall it. You’ll still see old photos like mine online. Please don’t plan your visit around trying that former attraction.
Ryugu no Shiofuki: the wind won
Just beside the shrine is an area known as Ryugu no Shiofuki, where waves can force spray through a hole in the rocky coast. I went to see it. Unfortunately, it was so windy that I couldn’t clearly tell what was spray from the hole and what was simply crashing sea and airborne water.
I certainly wasn’t going to lean toward the edge to find out. The cliffs, waves and strong winds demand respect. Stay behind safety barriers and don’t expect the natural phenomenon to perform on a schedule.
How to get to Motonosumi Shrine
We drove there on our September 2023 road trip. There is no convenient direct train or regular bus to the shrine itself, and roads become narrow near the coast.
The official Nagato tourism page estimates around one hour by car from Mine IC. Taxi rides from JR Nagato-Furuichi or Hitomaru stations take around 20 minutes, but arrange transport in advance rather than assuming a taxi will be waiting.
A rental car can make a broader Yamaguchi coastal itinerary easier, especially if you’d also like to see Tsunoshima Bridge. You can compare rental car options in Japan on DiscoverCars. Check Japanese licence eligibility, insurance, pickup point and your full cost before making a reservation.
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Visiting hours, parking and closures
According to Nagato’s current visitor information, shrine grounds are open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and visitors must leave by closing. Parking is available near the shrine and is paid; for passenger cars the official information lists ¥300 for the first hour, plus ¥100 per additional hour, up to ¥500.
2026 access restrictions: In addition to the ongoing repair closure of the torii route, there are scheduled partial access restrictions on certain weekends and holidays between March and November 2026. The official notice includes exceptions for some periods, so use its current calendar rather than assuming that a weekday or weekend guarantees a particular route.
If the gates are closed, you can still appreciate the red line across the slope from designated viewpoints in some circumstances. The surrounding ocean scenery is worth seeing, but check exactly what is accessible on your travel date.
How long should you allow?
For a straightforward stop, the local sightseeing itineraries generally allow about 30–60 minutes. If you’re an enthusiastic photographer and access is available, you may want more time. Parking queues and road conditions can add time, especially on popular travel days.
Our own visit took place before the current repairs. I don’t want to pretend that the full route we walked can be repeated unchanged today.
Would I recommend a visit?
For the scenery, yes. The view of the red gates against the sea is one of the images that has stayed with me since our Yamaguchi trip. But right now I would recommend deciding based on the repair status first. If your dream is specifically to walk under all the torii, it makes sense to wait for the official reopening announcement.
For a wider two-day road trip, see our English Yamaguchi itinerary. And for the original Japanese story and more photographs, here’s my Motonosumi Shrine visit report.
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