Showing you some Shinto Shrines...

This shrine is located near the Baptist church I attend.

While there is only one Christian church in Kuji -- the small Baptist church that I wrote about last time -- there are several Shinto shrines.

I'm not sure exactly how many are in Kuji, but I have found four different ones during my walks, two of them being only a couple of minutes away from my apartment.

All of the shrines I have discovered have been on top of a hill, surrounded by trees and somewhat hidden and secluded from civilization. They all have the same elements, which you can read about and see pictures of by clicking here.

By scrolling down on the link, you"ll see a List of Famous Shrines. The Toshogu Shrine in Nikko is toward the top of the list, and is shown as being one of the "best of the best." I saw this shrine last month when I was in Nikko, as well as the Futarasan Shrine. In Tokyo, Sara, Aaron and I visited the Meiji Shrine, where we used a purification trough and saw hundreds of prayers written on pieces of wood.

The shrines in Kuji aren't near as big and grand, and they aren't crowded with tourists like the ones in Nikko in Tokyo. In fact, I've seldomed seen people at the local shrines.

This shrine is next to the park -- the one I found a couple of weekends ago that's close to my apartment. Notice the shimenawa (the rope with papers hanging from it) that is on the furthest torii.

When I got up close to this post, I was really surprised to see that it had English on it. It reads (in perfect English, no less) "May Peace Prevail on Earth." Amen to that!