神社の常識をくつがえす 空気の神殿｜A Shrine That Breaks All the Rules – Where Even Air Is Sacred
Hello there! Today on YuruHori, we’re heading to the Air Shrine in Asahi Town. Just a 40-minute drive from town — this place has long offered a mystical and scenic experience. The Air Shrine is located inside the grounds of Asahi Shizenkan in Asahi Town. It’s the only shrine in the world dedicated to air. The Air Shrine has no main hall, and not even a torii gate. All you’ll find is one big mirror, reflecting the sky. A dreamy, otherworldly place devoted to air. It’s a quiet, dreamlike place — a physical expression of gratitude to nature. Alright, we’re here! There’s a little lizard by my feet.
Think it’ll let me film it? Good little buddy! This is the path to the Air Shrine.
It’s about a 10-minute walk to the main site. Along the path, you’ll find monuments to the five elements — wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Wood represents the energy of life beginning — growing and stretching with the wind. Fire stands for light and heat — flickering and burning in glowing red. The forest heals. You probably won’t see anyone walking through a forest like this with a grumpy face. Earth represents the energy of the ground — holding everything and helping it grow. Metal stands for the hard, cold power that lies deep within the mountains. Water represents a formless power that quietly fills everything. The Air Shrine At the center of the shrine grounds is a square mirror, facing the sky. It’s as if the mirror is trying to gather everything — the wind, the sounds, all of it — into this one place. The main sanctuary sits 3 meters underground, where unglazed jars containing air from all over Japan are enshrined. That’s the sacred heart of the Air Shrine. The sacred jars are revealed only once a year. When you hear “shrine,” you probably think of traditional Japanese gods… But the theme of the Air Shrine is actually based on the Chinese philosophy of the Five Elements. That’s why it felt more like an environmental attraction to me. I’ll definitely come back in a different season. Thanks for watching!
山形県朝日町。
鳥居も社殿もない、空気を祀る神社「空気神社」を訪ねました。
境内の中央にあるのは、空を映す大きな鏡板。
その地下3メートルには、全国各地の空気を封じた素焼きの壺が祀られています。
参道には、五行思想に基づいた「木・火・土・金・水」のモニュメントが並び、
森の中を歩く時間そのものが、ひとつの儀式のように感じられました。
世界にただひとつ、空気の神殿。
自然と向き合う不思議な時間を、ぜひご覧ください。
📍 ロケーション：山形県朝日町 Asahi自然観内
Asahi Town, Yamagata, Japan.
We visited the “Air Shrine,” a place with no torii gate and no main hall — a shrine that enshrines air itself.
At the center of the grounds stands a large mirror reflecting the sky.
Three meters below it lies the main sanctuary, where unglazed jars filled with air from across Japan are enshrined.
Along the approach, you’ll find monuments representing the Five Elements — wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.
Walking through the forest felt like part of a quiet ritual.
The only shrine of its kind in the world —
a temple of air and a moment to face nature itself.
📍 Location: Asahi Town, Yamagata (inside Asahi Shizenkan grounds)
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