Neighborhood Shrines/Temples, Part III

Way, way back I launched a post "series" about little local shrines.  And then I promptly quit going little local shrines for a variety of reasons, most of them related to laziness.

But yesterday I made up for most of it by making an impromptu hike up a large hill over in the neighboring city of Ashikaga.  This hill is very near the houses of two other American expats  so it's someone's neighborhood shrine.  It was a bit more of a steep trudge than I  had been anticipating.....my city stroller (which I had been advised would be fine) was abandoned half-way up the hill and I toted my 17 lb. permanent barbell the rest of the way up.   I was nearly hyperventilating by the time I reached the top. 

Anyway, as you can imagine, there is a small shrine at the top and a lovely view of the city of Ashikaga.

I have no idea what this shrine is for and I'm not particularly motivated to look it up.  I imagine it has something to do with good weather/business/crops/luck.  Pick one.



and then I had some photo editing fun-time

Ashikaga and the Watarase River

tippy-top (huff, puff, huff.....)

right in the middle of this photo is another large
shrine that will hopefully appear in the series soon

more of the Watarase River



and...back down the hill