At its peak during the Kamakura period, this shrine controlled 48 subsidiary temples and 6,700 monks. It commanded such power that it built a mountain fortress with five outposts, making it one of Japan's largest religious institutions.

The spring festival features rare 'kaminogaku' and 'kamikagura' dances that recreate how Kawakami Gozen taught papermaking. This 1,300-year-old tradition is designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Fukui Prefecture.

The shrine's main hall, rebuilt in 1843, has Japan's most complex roof design. Its intricate wooden structure and bark-thatched surface required such precision that it became a masterpiece of late-Edo architecture.

A princess mysteriously vanished in the Okamoto River 1,500 years ago after teaching locals papermaking. She was then enshrined as Kawakami Gozen, making this the only shrine in Japan dedicated to the goddess of paper.