A Large Chinquapin Tree in Kambayashi

This large chinquapin tree has been worshipped at Hayashigo Hachiman Shrine since ancient times. According to a 1988 survey, this tree is the second largest in Japan.
There is also a legend associated with the tree. "Long ago, there was an old man with deep respect for Shinto and Buddhist teachings. One evening, when this old man was praying at the shrine, a beautiful lady wearing nice clothes appeared in front of the chinquapin tree. This lady followed the old man, but soon disappeared. People in the village thought that she must have been the goddess of the tree. After this, they decorated the tree with straw ropes, built a fence of Sakaki trees (evergreen trees sacred in Shinto) and constructed a gate."