Iwakiyama Shrine, Shinto shrine in Hyakuzawa, Aomori Prefecture, Japan
Iwakiyama Shrine is a Shinto site in Hyakuzawa, Aomori Prefecture, positioned at the base of Mount Iwaki, which rises directly behind the complex. Three torii gates mark the approach to the main buildings, set in a wooded clearing where pines and cedars frame the path.
The site was founded in 780 on the summit of Mount Iwaki and reconstructed in 800 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro after earlier structures were destroyed. The buildings visitors see today were built in 1694 by the Tsugaru clan.
The Oyama-Sankei festival occurs during the autumn equinox, with participants carrying banners while traditional flutes and drums accompany their procession to Mount Iwaki's summit.
Visitors can obtain traditional paper fortunes and protective charms at the talisman office, and rest at the teahouse with a footbath. The path through the torii gates is level and easy to walk, and the buildings are reached by wooden steps.
The main buildings display intricate wood carvings in the yosegi-zukuri style, earning the site the nickname Oku-Nikko. This technique uses inlaid wooden panels of different colors and grains to form geometric patterns.
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