Though not as popular as temples like Senso-ji or even Hase-dera, Shirakawa-go’s Hachiman shrine could be every bit as memorable to visit. I managed to go to Shirakawa-go during the winter (as part of my Kanazawa 3-day itinerary) and I actually enjoyed my visit there. Both of these are just walking distance from each other though I would argue that Shirakawa-go itself is the main attraction.
Shirakawa-go’s Hachiman Shrine: Fully Covered in Snow
I wasn’t quite sure where to start. I really would like to go to the Nagase House, but I decided to visit Hachiman Shrine first. It was snowing when I went there and I actually expected that I wouldn’t be seeing anything. Turns out, that was partially true. This signboard was pretty much covered in snow.
While the snow was high, thankfully it wasn’t snowing when I did get there. In fact, the sun was up and it was illuminating the snow beautifully as you’ll see here. By the way, this is the First Torii of the Hachiman Shrine complex. It’s not that visible in the picture but there is a cedar tree that is said to stand 30 meters tall and was turned into the village’s natural monument.
Here’s a stone lantern as well as a sign with an inscription detailing a brief history of the Hachiman shrine as well as the part the cedar trees or sugi (like the tree that’s just behind the sign) played in that history. The stone lantern also has some history to it as it was donated by the second son of the third lord of Shirakawa-go way back in 1627.
After checking out the sugi and the stone lantern, let’s now marvel at this torii. Now it’s not as majestic as something like Itsukushima but it still is a treat to look at. I personally think the shimenawa (the rope hanging from its columns) is one of the most striking of its features and for some reason, it’s color in this picture just seems otherworldly.
After a short walk, I’m now at the Second Torii of the Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine. What can I say? The view here just looks so postcard worthy. I read that the best time to visit Ogimachi is during the spring/summer seasons but I think winter definitely isn’t a bad time to be here.
It wasn’t shown in the previous picture but just to the left of the Second Torii you’ll find this chozuya with a really unique looking chozubachi. These are quite common in shrines and temples and they’re typically used by visitors to symbolically purify themselves before setting foot inside a shrine or temple. The water here was quite cold this time of the year though so you might want to consider that before washing your hands and rinsing your mouth with it.
Here is a closer look at the Second Torii Gate which also gives us a glimpse of the Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine directly behind it. Not pictured are two other buildings that flank the shrine that visitors can also check out.
Pictured here is another sugi as well as the Shirakawa Mura Shokonsha (behind the tree) and the Doburoku Festival Hall (left). Again, I can’t help but be amazed at how this scenery looks. I’ve seen pictures of this place in the summer and spring and I don’t think that ever prepared me for what I’d see in the winter. Maybe it’s just me but there’s an ethereal atmosphere here that’s really hard to describe.
Winters here are rough and this picture proves it. Just look at how high the snow is and how much has accumulated on the shrine’s roof. That being said, make sure you bring winter footwear if you plan to visit during this season because believe me, you don’t want to slip on these steps.
Thankfully, the inside of the Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine is actually relatively dry. When I stepped in I immediately saw this saisenbako where you can drop your donations/offerings before praying to Hachiman. I was always curious as to what the folded paper was so I searched it up and found that it was called shide. These were typically found attached to shimenawa (though not all the time) and their main purpose was to signal that a location was holy.
A wider view of the front of the Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine. Also included in the picture is the what looks to be the shrine’s emagake/emakake where worshippers can hang their ema.
Off to the side, you’ll see a wooden board which has an inscription further detailing the history of the shrine. It talks about the location tradition dating the establishment of the shrine to some time during the Wado era (which was around 708-715 AD). The shrine initially served as the guardian shrine for the 43 villages that comprised the region of Shirakawa-go.
This is a closer look at what I thought was the emagake/emakake earlier. I’m not that good at reading Japanese though so I’m unable to directly translate what is written on these ema. That said, these might not even be ema with just how different they look from the ones I found at other shrines and temples.
And with that, I now found myself back at the Second Torii gate. As you can see, the sun is finally up and illuminating the whole countryside. While this visit was definitely short, it did not disappoint with scenic views such as this.
Here’s my last shot of Shirakawa-go’s Hachiman Shrine. This building in the foreground is specifically called the Kagura-den or the Sacred Music Hall. There were a host of other interesting buildings here that I would’ve wanted to explore but seeing as I was pressed for time, I’m probably going to check them the next time I come back here.
For what it’s worth, I think the Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine is a nice place to visit albeit I wouldn’t call it a must-visit destination. Yes, it has scenic views but you could argue the same for other places in Japan. That said, if you do find yourself in Gifu or if the prefecture is included in your itinerary then I think you’ll find visiting this place will be more than worth your while.
