statue: S45. October 19th. Prefecture Cultural Property
Kamo, Obama city
Kamo shrine
If it goes to a northeast from the JR Shinhirano station and passes Kaminogi and goes for a while, a village called Oto will be reached. When it goes to a right hand and Kamo from Oto, the shrine forest which mainly carried out the Japan cedar can be seen. This is the Kamo shrine. The big tree has grown thick on the heights surrounded with the stone wall by the place about 100m before the Torii of the Kamo shrine. This is Muku tree. The diameter is 10.20m, 34.50m in height, 28.00m wide in east-west, 26.20m wide in north-south.
This tree is large in Japan, next to a Muku tree in Niihama city in Ehime prefecture. It is considered to be 400 years old. Vigour is prosperous, although ivy twines and the fern is placed on a branch.
Muku tree is also called Mukunoki or Mukuenoki. It is quite similar to Enoki(hackberry), but root becomes like a sheet. Muku trees grow in mountains of middle and south part of Japan. Leaves are oval and used for polishing.
The origin of name is unknown, but according to an illustrated reference book, it may comes from the word which means " polishing something with leaves" or "growing thickly".
There is a bid Japanese cedar tree near Haiden of Kamo shrine and there is a great forest. You would better visit ancient tombs of Kamo or Kouyouzan, too, near the shrine.
Explanation 
Kamo shrine
