Arrived in Atami.
Left my luggage at the hotel and walked to Kinomiya Shrine.
The purpose was to see the great camphor tree at Kinomiya Shrine, Japan's second largest giant tree.
Kinomiya is read as "kinomiya," and it seems it was written as "木宮" (tree shrine) in the old days.
Over 2,000 years old with a circumference of 24 meters, it is designated as a natural monument.
The famous giant tree is the Jomon Cedar on Yakushima, which is 4,000 years old, so this is about half that age. Still, 2,000 years is roughly equivalent to the span of the Western calendar, and the fact that it has been watching over all of history during this time is quite moving.
It is said that walking around this giant tree once will extend your life by one year, and it is also said that if you walk around it silently while thinking of a wish, your wish will come true.
I hope my wish comes true.
