白髯神社
Hikage, Kinasa, Nagano City
Shirahige Shrine, also known as Shirahige Daimyojin, was enshrined as the guardian deity of the former Hikage Village.
It is situated in a quiet village surrounded by fields and built on a mountain slope.
In 685, Emperor Tenmu planned to move the imperial residence to this land, and Sarutahiko-no-Mikoto was enshrined as the guardian deity by Minoo-no-O and Ujinokimimaro no Sukune.
The shrine is said to have been a place of worship for Taira no Masakado and Kiso Yoshinaka.
The main hall, built in the early Edo period, is housed in a protective building behind the worship hall.
The main hall is well-preserved, retaining much of its original color.
Notable architectural features include spiral patterns with shallow carved young leaf designs on the wooden nose of the entrance beam and the front surface of the gable beam.
This style, used from the late Muromachi to the Momoyama period, is also seen in other shrines like Sano Shrine and Takaisha Shrine.
| Location | Hikage, Kinasa, Nagano City |
|---|---|
| Website | None |
| Deity | Sarutahiko-no-Mikoto |
| Main Hall | Important Cultural Property Early Edo period |
|---|---|
| Carpenter | Nakagawa Mokuemon |
| Architectural Style | Single-bay nagare-zukuri, shingle roof |