佐良志奈神社
Wakamiya, Togura-machi, Chikuma City
Sarashina Shrine is located at the base of Taisho Bridge, across National Route 18 and the river. The shrine is surrounded by a grove of large cedars, with a local museum-like facility and a park nearby. There is also a sumo ring on the grounds. Access by car is from the backside of the shrine, while the main entrance with a Ryobu Torii gate is from the village side. The gate is unpainted and has a tiled roof.
The shrine buildings include a worship hall at the front and a large three-bay Nagare-zukuri main hall at the back. The copper roofing's verdigris green and the bright red painted doors make the large structure striking. Although it lacks prominent carvings, the vivid colors and size of the shrine are impressive.
Next to the main hall stands a pagoda designated as a cultural property by Chikuma City. It is said to have been moved from the base of Mount Hachioji in the early Meiji period. A legend tells that people who fought under Prince Muneyoshi during the Nanboku-chō period built it as a memento mori.
