荒船山神社里宮
6379 Uchiyama, Saku City
Arakiyama Shrine, located in Uchiyama, Saku City, has an inner shrine at the summit of Arakiyama, which borders Gunma Prefecture.
There is a lower shrine in the village, and a worship site between the inner and lower shrines.
About 100 meters from the entrance to the shrine grounds, there is a bright red Ryobu Torii.
Straight through the torii, a paved path leads to the shrine structures surrounded by a deep sacred grove.
Takeminakata-no-Mikoto is enshrined at the lower shrine, while Kotoshironushi-no-Mikoto is enshrined at the inner shrine on the mountain summit.
The large irimoya-style worship hall is accompanied by a hall of worship.
Adjacent to it is the Seihachiman Shrine, built in 1692.
Originally, this hall was part of a merged Hachiman Shrine.
The Seihachiman Shrine has distinctive verandas on both sides and lacks the internal wooden stairs typical of shrine structures.
Similar forms can be seen in nearby shrines, such as Shinkai Sansha Shrine and Suwa Shrine in the Naruse area of Saku City.
The roof's curvature is achieved using ancient techniques that involve bending the horizontal beams.
Like many other shrines in the area, the ridgepole is adorned with a demon mask.
The bracket complexes of the Seihachiman Shrine are notably small compared to the thickness of the pillars and the size of the large brackets.
This suggests that the shrine was likely built by skilled local carpenters, who mainly constructed residential houses rather than being specialized shrine carpenters.
| Location | 6379 Uchiyama, Saku City |
|---|---|
| Website | None |
| Deities | Takeminakata-no-Mikoto, Yasakatori-no-Mikoto, Hondawake-no-Mikoto |
| Seihachiman Shrine | 1692 (Genroku 5) |
|---|---|
| Carpenters | Masuno Ichizaemon, Sato Sukesaburo, Ide Hannosuke, Kobayashi Kyuemon |
| Architecture Style | Sangensha Nagare-zukuri, iron plate roof |
