Air Shrine

Approx. 40 minutes by car from Yamagata City, Asahi Town is blessed with rich nature, including the Asahi Mountain Range and the Mogami River. Located on the grounds of the multi-purpose outdoor facility “Asahi Shizenkan,” Air Shrine is a one-of-a-kind shrine that, true to its name, enshrines “air” as its sacred object.

Built in 1990 as a token of gratitude for the air that provides humans with many benefits. At the top of a small wooded hill covered in beech forest, a 5-meter-square stainless-steel plate has been installed, reflecting the surrounding nature—fresh greenery and autumn leaves like a mirror—to represent air. Along the approach, monuments symbolizing the five elements that create the universe, the Five Phases (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water), are scattered throughout.

In Asahi Town, June 5—also World Environment Day—has been designated “Asahi Town Air Day.” On June 5 and the nearest Saturday and Sunday, the “Air Festival” is held, featuring the opening of the shrine’s main hall, as well as dedication dances and performances. In winter, the stainless-steel mirror surface is covered with protective snow fencing to shield it from snow, and visits are not permitted.