Tsuruga Station, the Western Terminal of the Hokuriku Shinkansen

Tsuruga Station is currently the western terminal of the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Most travelers simply ride through or change trains here on their way to Kyoto.

But consider this: miss one train and take a short walk instead.

Just ten minutes from the station, you can step into a quiet layer of Japanese history that many visitors never see.

A Short Walk to a Big Gate

Kehi Shrine is within easy walking distance from Tsuruga Station.
No buses. No taxis. No long detours.

Just a calm stroll through the town and then — suddenly — a large wooden torii gate appears.

This torii is about 11 meters tall and is listed as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
It stands quietly, yet strongly, as a piece of living history.

One Gate, Two Political Crests

Look closely at this torii, and you will notice something unusual.

It bears two different political symbols carved into its structure:

• The hollyhock crest of the Tokugawa shogunate
• The paulownia crest associated with imperial authority and the Toyotomi government

This combination is rare.

The gate was rebuilt in 1645 during the Edo period under Tokugawa rule, yet it still carries the older paulownia crest — showing how layers of Japanese political history survived here.

Different centuries.
Different powers.
One wooden structure.

History Is Not Only in Kyoto

Many visitors believe that Japanese history lives in Kyoto.

Kyoto is rich with temples and palaces — but history did not only happen there.

Tsuruga faced the Sea of Japan.
It connected regions and ideas.
It served as a meeting point between local life and distant horizons.

Standing under the torii at Kehi Shrine, you are not seeing a staged display.

You are experiencing history as it once stood — quiet, humble, and real.

Why It’s Worth Missing One Train

You do not need a full day.
You do not need a guidebook.

You only need one delayed departure.

Miss one train.
Walk ten minutes.
Look up.

Then continue to Kyoto — with a slightly deeper understanding of Japan.

Sometimes history is not only in the famous capitals.
Sometimes it waits — quietly — near a transfer platform.

If you are traveling further along the Hokuriku Shinkansen, you might also consider stopping at Fukui Station.

While Tsuruga reveals political layers through the great torii of Kehi Shrine, Fukui offers a striking contrast — dinosaurs outside the station, a castle without a castle, and a quiet feudal garden within walking distance.