Myogi Shrine

**Take the gentler path if the stairs look wrong.** The direct stone stairway from the gate is steep and long. A less severe approach route exists alongside it and reaches the same place — choose on the day rather than committing at the bottom. **The carving needs light.** The karamon and main hall face into the slope and lose direct sun early. Late morning to early afternoon is when the gilding and painted relief actually read; by late afternoon the detail flattens out. **Park at the roadside station.** Michi-no-Eki Myogi has free parking and the shrine is a short walk from it, which is simpler than looking for space on the approach road. The station also has the only reliable food nearby. **The mountain above is not a casual walk.** Myogi's ridge traverse is a serious scramble with chains and exposure and has a real accident history. The shrine visit and the mountain are separate undertakings; do not drift upward from one into the other. **Cherry blossom and autumn are the two peaks.** Spring blossom against the rock spires and November colour are both well known within Gunma, and both draw weekend traffic to a narrow approach road. Weekdays are markedly easier.