Kuzu Hachimangu Shrine

Kuzu Hachimangu Shrine

Kuzu Hachimangu (久津八幡宮) is a shrine in Hagiwaracho Joro, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture; its main hall of 1412 and worship hall of 1581 are each designated as an Important Cultural Property, on November 14, 1953 and April 15, 1924, the latter a date of designation under the former law (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Both are owned by the shrine.

According to the Japan Tourism Agency commentary (Gero City, 2023), the shrine is said to have been founded in the 4th century to honour Emperor Ojin.

The Main Hall and Worship Hall

The main hall is a three-bay nagare-style shrine of the mid-Muromachi period with a roof of wooden shingles (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Japan Tourism Agency commentary, two warblers are carved on a frog-leg strut under its eaves, along with two "carp that call water" set against fire; when their power flooded the river, arrows were carved beside them to hold it back, the story goes.

In front of it, the worship hall is a large Momoyama-period hall, single-storey, five bays by four, with a shingled hip-and-gable roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Each is described on its own page.

Visiting

No official information on visiting hours or access was found. According to the Japan Tourism Agency commentary, each mid-January local high school students shoot arrows at a straw carp in a "river-calming ceremony".