Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine sounds like it was plucked straight from a Studio Ghibli film - we're talking moss-covered stone lanterns, ancient cypress trees, and this incredible sacred rock with a hole right through it. The kind of place where you wouldn't be surprised if forest spirits suddenly appeared.

The shrine's approach seems like half the experience - climbing those steps through the forest, each moss-covered lantern making it feel more and more like you're entering another world. And then there's that Ugetoiwa rock with its mysterious hole. Apparently squeezing through brings good luck, though I imagine how much luck probably depends on how gracefully you manage it!

For anyone heading to Kumamoto who has better planning skills than we did: this seems like one of those off-the-beaten-path spots that makes you feel like you've discovered something special. The kind of place that reminds you Japan still has plenty of magical corners waiting to be explored.