Aekuni jinja

Located in Iga City, Mie Prefecture, this shrine is the ichinomiya of Iga Province.
The shrine was founded by Shidō Shōgun, the first prince of Emperor Kōgen, who settled and developed the Iga Province after pacifying the Hokuriku region. Shidō Shōgun was later enshrined as Ōhiko no Mikoto.
There is said to be an ancient burial mound to the north of the shrine, believed to be the tomb of Ōhiko no Mikoto.
The descendants of Ōhiko no Mikoto lived in Abe District and took the name Abe, which later evolved into Ahe and Abe.
For this reason, Ōhiko no Mikoto is regarded as the tutelary deity of the Abe clan.

To the north of the shrine stands a large red ryobu torii, leading to the shrine grounds.
The worship hall, surrounded by shrine groves, is visible up the stone steps.
The long, narrow worship hall features a karahafu gable at the front, with stairs leading to the main hall behind it.
The main hall, surrounded by a sacred fence and painted red, cannot be seen well, but the lights on the irimoya-roofed building between the worship hall and the sacred fence create a dark and quiet atmosphere.

Among the various precinct shrines of Aekuni Shrine, I noticed an unusual object at the Ōishi Shrine on the rear approach.
Instead of guardian dogs, there are shachihoko statues on both sides of the stone steps.
Seeing shachihoko at a shrine is rare, with the only other known example in Nagano Prefecture at the Shotoku Shrine in Tenaga Shrine, Suwa City.
The connection is unclear, but it is certainly a rare sight.