Visiting Haruna Shrine in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture

It is said to have been founded in the late 6th century and is mentioned in the Engishiki (Book of the Engishiki). It was a temple from the Middle Ages to the Edo period, but became a shrine during the Meiji period when Shinto and Buddhism were separated. The two main deities enshrined are Kasantai-no-kami, the god of fire suppression and good fortune, and Haniyama-hime, the god of bountiful harvests. Both were born from Izanami. Southwest of the temple grounds, on Prefectural Route 33, stands a large vermilion first torii gate, approximately 16 meters high. Enter the temple grounds through the temple town, which is lined with souvenir shops, restaurants, and lodgings. There are several parking lots in the temple town. Beyond the bronze second torii gate is the Zuishinmon Gate, a three-bay, eight-legged gate with a gabled roof, estimated at just under 12 meters high and built in the late Edo period. It features lion statues and carvings of phoenixes and other deities at the top. Proceed along the stone-paved path lined with magnificent cedar trees on both sides. Statues of the Seven Lucky Gods can be seen at various points along the way. After passing the three-story pagoda and the chozuya (water purification fountain), and climbing the stone steps, you'll come across the Shinkodo Hall, a 3x3-bay, gabled, copper-roofed structure. Like the Zuishinmon Gate, it features extensive carvings on the upper part. Beyond the shrine office, which sells talismans and amulets, is the elegant, four-legged Soryumon Gate, richly carved and beautifully decorated. Though constructed in the late Edo period, it was restored in the Reiwa era and is now new. The Kagura Hall and the Honsha Heiden and Haiden, both built in the late Edo period, were currently under construction and covered. The work is expected to be completed in December 2025. (Visited in August 2025) We paid our respects at the Kokusosha Shrine, a mid-Edo period shrine with scaffolding made of iron pipes. Unfortunately, due to the restoration work, only a portion of the shrine building was visible. A short walk behind the temple grounds is the erosion control dam, completed in 1955 to prevent landslides along the Haruna River. #DomesticTravel