Haibara jinja

As you head south on Route 63 from Matsumoto, you will see a large cedar grove on the left. There is a torii gate made of wood with four pillars, a type commonly seen in Nagano Prefecture. There is a parking space for one car next to it. Visiting during snowfall, the stone steps were wet and cold, but they were well-maintained, and new shimenawa ropes indicated the shrine is frequently visited.

At the top of the stone steps, to the right is the Chokushi Hall, straight ahead is the worship hall, and a corridor runs along the side. The main shrine, a three-bay nagare-zukuri, stands behind the worship hall. The three-bay design, with three columns at the front and one at the back, is rare in Nagano Prefecture where single-bay shrines are more common. There are no side screens, and statues sit next to the front steps, which can be eerie in quiet, secluded shrines. The roof features katsuogi and chigi, a shape more common in shinmei-zukuri structures in the prefecture.

This main shrine was originally three separate shrines—Jussha, Hachiman, and Chinju— which were dismantled and merged into the current three-bay shrine in the Meiji period. One of the original shrines featured a kenmitsu style with corner pillars, and stylistic elements like wooden noses and frog leg beams indicate all three were mid-18th century constructions.