Iwashimizu Hachimangu

Japan's largest and oldest example of hachiman-zukuri shrine architecture, reconstructed in 1634 under Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, with many structures now National Treasures. The main sanctuary looks like two separate buildings from the side but is a single structure with two roofs, an interior divided between outer and inner halls housing three deities side by side. Over 150 colorful woodcarvings of plants, animals, and mythical creatures decorate the buildings. A golden rain gutter between the two roofs was a gift from the warlord Oda Nobunaga. Visitors pray at the two-story front gate, which opens onto covered corridors enclosing the inner complex.