Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

The main shrine at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu enshrines the semi-mythical Emperor Ojin, deified as Hachiman, guardian of warriors and the nation, alongside his mother Empress Jingu and the goddess Himegami. The current building dates to 1828 and is an Important Cultural Property, built in the gongen-zukuri style favored by the warrior class during the Edo period. Its decorative sculptures include plants, animals, and mythological beings chosen for protective symbolism. The first character on the large black gate plaque, hachi, is formed by two doves, the messenger bird of Hachiman. The shrine was originally at the foot of the hill but was moved midway up the mountainside in 1191 after a fire destroyed the earlier structure.