Kotonomama Hachimangu is an old shrine east of central Kakegawa, near the former Tokaido post road. Tradition links it to wishes spoken exactly as they are meant, and travellers on the old highway stopped here to pray before crossing the difficult pass nearby.
The grounds are quiet and wooded, with a large camphor tree that gives the shrine its best moment. It is not as convenient as the castle district, but it adds depth to Kakegawa's Tokaido story.