Shiratori Shrine, Shinto shrine in Japan

Shiratori Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the foothills of the Ebino Plateau in Japan. The main hall features carved pillars with dragons and clouds, blending Buddhist and Shinto design elements in its traditional wood construction.

The shrine was founded in 959 after a monk received a vision of Prince Yamato Takeru asking him to build a sanctuary. The main hall was rebuilt near the end of the Edo period, reflecting the craftsmanship and decorative style of that era.

The name comes from the founding legend: the monk Shōkū was reciting the Lotus Sutra by the Rokukannon Pond near the summit of Mount Shiratori when a white-haired old man appeared, declared himself Yamato Takeru dwelling on the mountain as a white bird, and asked for a shrine. Because Yamato Takeru had subdued the Kumaso, the deity was later venerated as a war god, and in the villages of Iino and Oka killing a white bird was forbidden.

The shrine is about 20 minutes by car from Ebino Station with free parking available. A path with roughly 210 stone steps leads from the main gate to the buildings, though driving is an option if you prefer to avoid the climb.

In 1703 a giant red pine in the shrine grounds was cut and shipped to Nara, where it was used as a rainbow beam (kōryō) supporting the roof of the Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji. The shrine's own tradition records this donation; the beam is known as the Todai-ji Daibutsuden kōryō.