Tanzan jinja

Tanzan Shrine is known for its cherry blossoms and autumn foliage.
Amidst the many designated cultural properties, it is famous for its rare 13-story pagoda.
Before the Meiji period, it was known as Tonomine Myorakuji Temple.

The shrine was founded in 678 AD.
It is said to have started when Fujiwara no Kamatari's eldest son, Jo'e, moved Kamatari's tomb from the current Amayama Kofun to its current location and erected the 13-story pagoda.
Two years later, the current worship hall was built as a lecture hall, and it came to be known as Myorakuji Temple.

An entrance fee of 500 yen is required for the shrine.
A large vermillion-painted torii gate stands at the entrance, leading to a long stone staircase.
To the left of the stone staircase, on the west side, are the Mausoleum Worship Hall, the Sosha Shrine, and the 13-story pagoda. On the east side are the East Treasure House and the Koishinsha Shrine, also known as the East Shrine.

The two-story gate connected to the worship hall is an Important Cultural Property built during the Edo period.
It is a red-painted wooden structure with white walls, and its roof is a hipped roof covered with cypress bark.
The worship hall, built in 1520, has a stage-like structure with a high foundation.
A corridor with balustrades surrounds the hall, and copper lanterns hang from the eaves.
Inside the hall, the ceiling is made of fragrant wood, and there are exhibits related to Tanzan Shrine.

The 13-story pagoda, located opposite the two-story gate, is one of Tanzan Shrine's iconic buildings.
It was originally built by Kamatari's son, Jo'e, for his father's memorial.
The current structure dates back to 1532 and is the only remaining 13-story pagoda.
The roofs gradually decrease in size as they ascend, giving the appearance of a continuous series of roofs.

The East and West Treasure Houses, built in 1619, still stand.
Both are of the same log-cabin style and are designated as Important Cultural Properties.

Among the many shrine buildings, the East Shrine, located on the east side of the grounds, is also known as Koishinsha Shrine and is worshiped as a shrine of love.
It enshrines Mirror Princess, Jo'e, and Fujiwara no Fuhito, and is also called Wakamiya Shrine.
The shrine was relocated here in 1619, and due to its name, it is worshipped as a god of matchmaking.

The Hie Shrine Main Hall, located at the western end of the shrine grounds, was built in 1627.
It features a one-bay nagare-zukuri roof with a gabled roof and cypress bark thatch, making it a vibrant shrine with remaining colors.
Originally from the Asuka area’s Ohara Palace, it was relocated here and was known as the Sanno Shrine until the Meiji period.

The Gonden Hall between the 13-story pagoda and the Hie Shrine was originally the Jokyo-do Hall and remains a Muromachi-period temple building.
It is a large, hipped roof structure enshrining the deity Madara Kami, the god of the performing arts, and has been a place for performances of ennen dance and Noh theater.

The Mausoleum Worship Hall, located one level below the 13-story pagoda, was originally used as the lecture hall of Myorakuji Temple.
The walls inside are painted with images of arhats and celestial maidens.
The current hall was rebuilt in 1668 and is designated as an Important Cultural Property.

The Sosha Worship Hall, located opposite the Mausoleum Worship Hall, was built in 1668.
The architectural style is a simplified version of Tanzan Shrine's worship hall, with gabled roofs at the front and back.
Inside, there are surviving wall paintings by Kano Einou.

Behind it stands the main hall, said to be Japan's oldest sosha shrine.
It was consecrated in 926 AD, and the existing structure dates from 1668.
In 1742, Tanzan Shrine’s main hall was relocated here, and it has a three-bay Kasuga-style structure.
Although the colors have faded, traces of the original ornate decorations remain.

The Akaiya Pavilion, located next to the Sosha Shrine, was built in 1619.
It is a hipped roof structure covered with cypress bark and enclosed by black-painted plank walls.
Inside is a well known as Manihou-no-I, where it is said that the dragon king appeared when Monk Jo'e chanted the Lotus Sutra.

Located downhill from the shrine is the East Gate, designated as a prefecturally designated Important Cultural Property.
The gate is a korai-mon style with wings attached on both sides, and the roof is tiled.
Based on inscriptions, it is believed to have been built in 1803.
This castle-like gate is unusual for shrine architecture.