Saruga Shrine, Shinto shrine in Aomori Prefecture, Japan

Saruka Jinja is a Shinto shrine in Saruga, Hirakawa, Aomori Prefecture. Its honden, rebuilt in 1826, is a three-bay nagare-zukuri structure of plain unfinished wood, unusual for having no front antechamber, and is a prefectural Important Cultural Property. The grounds cover about 15,000 tsubo and hold two large ponds, Kagami-ga-ike and Mihari-ga-ike. A gray weathered stone torii with a framed plaque and four zigzag paper streamers stands at the end of the paved approach.

The shrine was founded in 807 when general Sakanoue no Tamuramaro traveled north to fight the Ezo people. The main hall was rebuilt in 1826 and represents the traditional architecture of Japanese shrines from that era.

The shrine serves as a gathering place where the local community comes together for festivals and prayers throughout the year. Visitors can purchase protective charms and write wishes on wooden plaques, showing how faith is actively practiced in daily life.

The shrine is free to explore during the day, with the office for charms and visitor stamps open from 9 in the morning until 5 in the evening. It is easily accessible, about a 15-minute walk from Tsugaru-Ogami Station, and free parking is available on the grounds and in the adjacent Saruga Park.

The lotus pond, Kagamigaike, is the centre of Saruka worship; its lotus roots are processed into renkon yokan, a speciality of the former Ogami town. In the pond stands a small island with the Munakata Shrine (Benten-gu), dedicated to Ichikishimahime no mikoto, and the Hiyoshi Shrine beside it. The pond area was once a breeding ground for cormorants and herons, designated a national natural monument in 1935 and delisted in 1984 after the birds disappeared.