Iwakiyama Shrine

Iwakiyama Shrine

Iwakiyama Shrine (岩木山神社) in Hyakuzawa, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, is an ancient shrine rooted in mountain worship; its tower gate of 1628, its worship hall begun in 1603, and its main hall, inner gate, fence and middle gate of 1694 are each designated as an Important Cultural Property (Agency for Cultural Affairs). All were built by the lords of Hirosaki.

According to the Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization, the shrine worships Mount Iwaki, the highest peak in Aomori, as its sacred body.

Shrine Buildings with a Temple Past

The worship hall was built as the great hall of Hyakutakuji, the temple that once ran the shrine, and became the worship hall when Shinto and Buddhism were separated in the early Meiji era (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Aomori Board of Education). The middle gate was built as the gate of that hall at the same time as the main hall, and the Agency considers it central to a layout that keeps the shrine's Shinto-Buddhist history.

The tower gate is a vermilion two-storey gate 17.85 metres high, and the main hall is a three-bay nagare-style hall in black lacquer with richly coloured carving (Aomori Board of Education). Each property is described on its own page.

Visiting

According to the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, only the exteriors are open to view; according to the Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization, the shrine is about 40 minutes by bus from JR Hirosaki Station.