Japan has a vast array of beautiful shrines, but even its water temple won’t get you this soaked.

The Hazama Underwater Park is a praised diving spot with a very unique selling point for divers and tourists alike—it lets you visit a traditional Japanese shrine underwater!

If that wasn’t cool enough, you don’t have to go it on our own, as there are whalesharks, sunfish, and other exotic marine wildlife that hang out around the shrine.

You're probably wondering how the shrine ended up down there. It's not actually a sunken shrine guarded by sea-monsters or anything like that (well, at least to our knowledge), but was actually deliberately installed at the base of the Hazama Sea as a branch of the Susaki Shrine on July 20th (Marine Day in Japan), 1996, to protect the sea with a blessing of safety!

If you make your way down there, you can even stop and offer your respects.

It gets better though! After you've explored the shrine, you'll notice a mysterious dome, sometimes guarded by this big dopey guy.

This dome is actually a protective spot for you to take a break. Think of it as your own personal air-bubble where you can pop in and enjoy a coffee mid-dive. Watch the video below for an idea of how to do it!

You can even strike the ceremonial bell, but what out, a sunfish might try to steal a kiss!

Those enticed enough will want to look into exploring services that can make the trip happen. If not, enjoy the visuals and trust in the mighty sunfish and whale-sharks to help keep the sea safe!


By - grape Japan editorial staff.