Hakusan Shrine (Shiga Prefecture)

Hakusan Shrine sits perched on a hill just west of Choju-ji Temple, a National Treasure and ancient temple known as part of the Konan Sanzan (the three famous temples in the southern part of Lake Biwa). Its founding dates back to the Jōgan era (859-877) of the Heian period. After a period of decline, the site was revived in 1183 along with Choju-ji Temple by Minamoto no Yoritomo. The entire area sits engulfed in lush trees, making for a picture-perfect scene that’s especially gorgeous during the autumn foliage season.

The current worship hall was built in 1572 during the Muromachi period, remaining today as an Important Cultural Property of Japan and one of the oldest in Shiga prefecture after Mikami Shrine. Visitors here will find the main hall sat atop a stone staircase built in the Ikken-sha Nagare-zukuri style.

The shrine also houses a collection of thirty-six portraits of Waka poets (the Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry), dedicated in 1436. These portraits, along with their poems, are painted on wooden panels, a rarity, and are designated as tangible cultural properties of the prefecture.