Nozawa’s Yuzawa Shrine

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Post of the Day: Adding a bit of light to the darkness as we get through the pandemic together.
This series features travel photos from my archives, shared with you while staying close to home.

July 31st, 2020

Following yesterday’s post we’re exploring Yuzawa Shrine in Nozawa, Japan. It’s located up a stone staircase on the northeast side of town … sitting quietly under fresh snow when I visited in 2015.

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

I don’t know much about Yuzawa Shrine other than it’s a Shinto shrine built with cedar by Echigo Master Craftsman Kaichi Iwasaki. It was built in the traditional style of Japanese carpentry called kanawatsugi in which wood adjoins wood through the use of joints rather than nails, screws or iron.

Yuzawa Shrine also has the most marvelous wood carvings, aged with time and showing all the grain of the material. What vision and skill to imagine and create these elaborate, layered scenes.

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Wherever you are, I hope you have a safe weekend and you’re staying vigilant and healthy in your fight against the virus.

More tomorrow,
Kelly

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan

Yuzawa Shrine ~ Nozawa, Japan