A 5-minute walk from JR Kobe Station brings you to Minatogawa Shrine, dedicated to Kusunoki Masashige. Locals affectionately call him Nanko-san, and it's a large shrine visited by many worshippers daily. The grounds are remarkably spacious. From spring through early summer, the fresh greenery is dazzlingly bright. The day I visited was perfectly clear, making for a truly pleasant worship experience. Even though Kobe is a city, it feels considerably less crowded than Tokyo or Osaka. With this much spaciousness, it feels like you're luxuriously savoring both space and time, almost as if you're enjoying a moment of high quality.
