Kitano jinja

Dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane
Northernmost Tenmangu Shrine in Nagano
Kitano Shrine, also known as Kitano Tenmangu, is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane.
The detailed history is unclear, but it has long been a place of worship for a wide region.
The torii gate is about 100m from the shrine.
Following the road leads to the shrine surrounded by cedar trees.

Main Shrine with Regional Characteristics
The entrance has a bright red torii gate, with a hand-washing pavilion nearby.
The shrine features a gabled worship hall, with guardian dog statues and a shelter behind it.

The main hall is housed within a shelter, making it difficult to view from the outside. It is a single-bay nagare-zukuri structure of modest size. The main hall shares regional architectural features with other shrines in the area, such as short roof dimensions above the main columns, the use of tall rainbow beams, and uniquely shaped frog-leg struts.

Currently, the columns and panels are painted vermilion, while the brackets and rafters are coated in black lacquer. Traces of colorful patterns remain on the straw bundles used in the middle sections, indicating that the original building featured lightly colored structural members and vividly painted carvings.