Sakuramatsu Shrine in Hachimantai is one of my favorite places to go (besides the mountains) in the winter. This ancient shrine has a rare dragon/serpent shrine built into a cliff, and the atmosphere is really otherworldly.
But most people that come here visit for Fudo Falls – one of the 100 most beautiful waterfalls in Japan. In another month or so it will freeze into a magnificent ice falls, but for now it’s still flowing. This waterfall also has a rather mysterious history as a center for Shugendo training. Buddhist Mountain Ascetics would stand under the falls while chanting the Heart Sutra as part of their spiritual training hundreds of years ago.
I’m not one that senses this sort of thing – but many Japanese people feel that this is a “power spot” and feel intense waves of “energy” here. While I don’t share that feeling, I do think the atmosphere is unrivaled! It’s a very intense place!
The location is here