The old wooden torii gate here is impressive, and like other spots in Togakushi there are some very nice imposing cryptomeria (Japanese cedar) trees, including a three-trunked holy tree behind the torii

We took the Highland shuttle bus from Nagano, which took about one hour. The bus is fine for the short ride to Zenkoji temple, but is very uncomfortable for a one hour trip. We visited the Hinomikosha and Hokosha shrines first and then came to the precipitous stone staircase leading to the Chusa shrine. I counted 191 steps and arrived at the summit rather exhausted - why do they always build shrines and temples so high up? It is a beautiful spot, surrounded by very tall pine trees, but I felt the hard climb was not fully rewarded; the shrine is pleasant but nothing really special. After I started the climb, my wife discovered a winding path which also leads to the shrine, and this proved a much easier descent route. The bus stop and a couple of restaurants are near the bottom of the steps, so it is possible to relax with a large beer to recover from the mountaineering!