Wakamiya Shrine

The second most important shrine at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Wakamiya enshrines four semi-mythical deities connected to Emperor Ojin, the divine form of Hachiman. The current building dates to 1624, is designated an Important Cultural Property, and follows the same gongen-zukuri style as the main shrine, with all three halls under a single roof. Carved guardian lions and peonies decorate the structure, a combination considered auspicious in Chinese tradition because the lion rules the beasts and the peony rules the flowers. The arrangement of upper and lower shrines at Tsurugaoka dates from 1191, when the complex was rebuilt after a fire destroyed the original single structure.