Hiraoka Shrine, Shinto shrine at Mount Ikoma foothills, Higashiōsaka, Japan
Hiraoka Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Higashiōsaka, Osaka Prefecture, at the western foot of the Ikoma Mountains. Its four sanctuaries stand in a row within a single Kasuga-zukuri structure, with vermilion pillars, a cedar-bark roof and gold ornaments under the eaves. A stone stairway with a dark handrail rises between orange columns, and a lower covered gallery extends to the left.
Documents from the 10th century already mention this site as the principal shrine of the former Kawachi Province. Later, parts of its religious function were transferred to Kasuga in Nara, while the complex here continued.
The shrine is called Moto-Kasuga because two of its four kami, Ame-no-Koyane and Hime-gami, were transferred to Kasuga Taisha in Nara. Its name has been written with both 枚岡 and 平岡 since ancient times, and the 平岡 form survives on stone markers and lanterns in the grounds. The plum grove, now a city-designated scenic spot, began in 1873 when local volunteers planted plum trees on the site of the former Shingon temple Jingō-ji.
The entrance sits near Hiraoka Station on the Kintetsu Nara Line, and access is free with parking available on site. The stone steps require some effort, so sturdy footwear helps, especially in wet weather or winter.
The shrine's main festival is held on 1 February. The present four sanctuaries were rebuilt in 1826 by local parishioners, and the first and second halls keep many old timbers. The four halls stand in a row, unlike Kasuga Taisha's, and are a Tangible Cultural Property of Higashiōsaka.
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