Kamikura Jinja is a small shrine on the cliff face overlooking the coastal town of Shingû in Wakayama Prefecture. The shrine is known for two things: its steep staircase, and a massive boulder which is said to be where several gods first stepped down on Earth following its creation.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 2.

Ok, first things first, the stairs are legitimately steep. Basically, you go up. The photo below doesn’t do it complete justice, but for sure it’s quite the climb. That being said, it’s not long and it levels out fairly quickly. If you’re out of shape like me, I recommend bringing a camera so that you have plenty of excuses to stop and catch your breath. If you’re fit, then this should be fairly simple. If for whatever reason you feel you need some help climbing the stairs, there’s a small collection of walking sticks visitors can use, just be sure to put them back when you come down.

The experience ascending and descending the stairs is part of why I wanted to rank this so high for casual visitors, but it’s also because of the view. The shrine itself is hanging on a small outcrop on an otherwise vertical cliff. Therefore, the view of the town and of the sea is just really beautiful. Many visitors take a moment to take it all in at the top which makes this lovely atmosphere of people elated to climb the stairs, but also bewildered by the beauty of the views. So no, this is not a major shrine, but I do recommend people visit when they have the chance.