A stone staircase — steep, uneven and thrilling — climbs for about 15 minutes from near Hayatama Taisha to a massive boulder perched on the hillside, where legend says the gods first descended to earth. The climb is physical enough to feel like a mini-pilgrimage in itself, and the reward at the top is both the sacred stone and sweeping views over Shingu and the Pacific. During the annual Oto Matsuri fire festival in February, men race down these same treacherous steps carrying flaming torches — a spectacle as dangerous as it sounds.