Japan has a large number of temples whose age is fascinating. Some of them were founded even before Christ and still remain places of pilgrimage for the faithful and places of attraction for tourists who love to study the history and architecture.

One of these unique temples with an interesting history is Hikawa-jinja – a temple located on an area of more than ten thousand square kilometers. Hence the name – a huge temple, literally translated from Japanese.

Hikawa-jinja appeared on this territory in the 5th century BC. At first, it was a very modest complex, housing a few monks. But gradually, the number of novices grew, and with them, the area of the temple increased as more and more rooms were needed.

It is difficult to say what the temple originally looked like. Nothing has survived to this day in its original form. The oldest building on the territory of the temple dates back to the 16th century. The famous Central gate, which is called «torii», belongs to the same time. Its height is 13 meters.

Surprisingly, this temple has its own ship. It was built in 1930 and named Hikawa Maru, after the temple itself. Monks use it to travel to holy places as well as to remote parts of the country to give lectures or hold educational and spiritual seminars.

The temple is surrounded by a large, luxurious park. It is planted with a huge number of sakuras. During blossoming they transform the whole surrounding area as if enveloping the temple and the territory around it with pink clouds. There is also a small museum of the history of religion and even a zoo. The latter is home to animals typical of the region, which were in trouble and rescued by monks or locals.

Now, Hikawa-jinja is a functioning Shinto temple and monastery. But anyone can come here to see the ancient architecture, walk through the luxurious park, and help in taking care of the zoo's animals.