Iwakiyama Shrine

Iwakiyama Shrine stands at the southeastern foot of Mount Iwaki in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture. Locals call it Oiwaki-sama, and it was once the first-ranking shrine of Tsugaru Province. It enshrines five deities as the Great Deity of Mount Iwaki. According to tradition it was founded in 780, burned down in an eruption in 1589, and was rebuilt by the Tsugaru clan, the lords of Hirosaki. The present buildings, from the early Edo period, include the two-storied gate, the worship hall and the main hall, which are Important Cultural Properties. The main hall of 1694 is lacquered black and decorated with richly colored carvings, so the shrine is sometimes called the Okunikko, the Nikko of the north. The Oyama Sankei pilgrimage to the summit shrine is a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Allow 40 minutes to an hour. It is about 40 minutes by Konan Bus from Hirosaki Station.