In the town of Takamori-machi, in the Kumamoto Prefecture of Japan, lies the Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine. This otherworldly forest shrine is the inspiration for the manga Hotarubi no Mori e (Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light) written by Yuki Midorikawa. The story revolves around a young girl named Hotaru and her friendship with Gin, a strange young man with supernatural powers that lives in a mountain forest. Hotaru learns that touching Gin will cause him to disappear forever.
The forest shrine in real life looks like a set straight out of a fantasy movie. It’s incredible that such places still exist in today’s world. Check it out below.
