The Lacquered Main Hall of Iwakiyama
The Iwakiyama Shrine (岩木山神社) is the main hall, inner gate, fence and middle gate of Iwakiyama Shrine, built by the lords of Hirosaki of 1694 in Hyakuzawa, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on June 22, 1971 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records four structures: a three-bay nagare-style main hall, a cusped-gable inner gate, a fence 40 ken around, and a four-legged middle gate; designation number 01791.
The Main Hall, Gates and Fence of 1694
This page covers four Important Cultural Properties of Iwakiyama Shrine: the main hall, the inner gate, the fence and the middle gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The shrine began in mountain worship, and the main hall, inner gate and fence were built in 1694 by the lord of Hirosaki; according to the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, the fourth lord, Tsugaru Nobumasa, built them between 1686 and 1694.
The main hall is a three-bay nagare-style hall with a triangular gable and a cusped eave gable at the front, under a roof of copper tiles. The inner gate is a one-bay gate with a cusped gable, and the fence runs from both ends of it around the main hall for 40 ken, including a small gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Board of Education, posts and doors are black-lacquered and the carvings are richly coloured and gilded.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency notes the buildings as works of the lords of Hirosaki and values the middle gate as central to a shrine layout that keeps its Shinto-Buddhist history.
The Middle Gate and a Shared History
The middle gate is a gabled four-legged gate, built at the same time as the main hall as the gate of the great hall of Hyakutakuji, the temple that once ran the shrine; that hall is now the worship hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was added to the designation on January 22, 1986, and the Agency considers it central to the layout of a shrine that keeps the history of Shinto-Buddhist fusion.
What to Look For
At Iwakiyama, look for the black-lacquered main hall with its coloured carvings, the fence around it, and the middle gate before the worship hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Aomori Board of Education).
Visiting
The four structures are owned by Iwakiyama Shrine (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, only the exterior is open to view; according to the Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization, the shrine is about 40 minutes by bus from JR Hirosaki Station.
Q&A
- What is designated?
- Main hall, inner gate, fence, middle gate.
- When were they built?
- In 1694 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who built them?
- Tsugaru Nobumasa, lord of Hirosaki.
- When was the middle gate added?
- In 1986.
- When was the Iwakiyama Shrine designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On June 22, 1971 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Iwakiyama Shrine (岩木山神社) |
|---|---|
| Location | 27 Terasawa, Hyakuzawa, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1971/06/22 (Showa 46) |
| Quantity | 4 structures |
| Dimensions | Main hall: 3-ken nagare style, copper tiles; inner gate: 1-ken cusped-gable gate; fence: 40 ken with a small gate; middle gate: four-legged, gabled |
| Owner | Iwakiyama Shrine |
| Public Access | About 40 minutes by bus from JR Hirosaki Station (Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization) |
References
- Iwakiyama Shrine (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/82
- 岩木山神社 本殿・奥門・瑞垣・中門 (Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.aomori.lg.jp/soshiki/kyoiku/e-bunka/jubun_kenzoubutu_4.html
- Iwakiyama Shrine (Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization, in Japanese)
- https://www.tohokukanko.jp/attractions/detail_1226.html
Last verified: 2026.11.12
Cultural Treasures in the Same Area
All are within walking distance in the same area, so we recommend visiting them together.
- Iwakiyama Shrine Mizugaki 0.00 km
- Iwakiyama Shrine Middle gate 0.01 km
- Iwakiyama Shrine inner gate 0.04 km
- Iwakiyama Shrine Main shrine 0.05 km
