Atago Shrine

Atago Shrine climbs a hill above Hakata Bay in Fukuoka, dedicated to a fire god locals turn to for a very particular kind of help: burning away a habit like drinking, smoking or gambling. The guide traces the ritual of writing a vow on a wooden plaque and carrying it up the mountain, then turns to a second, smaller shrine just steps away where visitors pour out sake instead of giving it up. It follows that contrast between quitting and offering, up a stairway nicknamed for its counterpart in Tokyo, toward the view over the bay.