At Hachimangu

 Reaching the top of the stairs, I got my first view of the shring.

 This little stele was off to the side. The only writing on it was the name of the shrine.

This hollowed out stone had been carefully placed on a base, but I had could find no clue to its purpose. Most of the time there is a stone basin for purifying one's self before entering the shrine proper. However, this stone was hollowed out in a way that would not hold water. The foundation in the background belongs to the small building housing the altar.