Hiraoka Jinja

June, when Japan enters the rainy season, is the best time to enjoy the freshness of the forests. Strolling through temples and shrines that beautifully blend with nature is a great way to refresh oneself, so I often visit such places. This time, I visited "Hiraoka Shrine," not far from "Ishikiri Shrine" which I had previously visited.

It takes a little over 40 minutes by local train from Namba Station in Osaka, but there's no need to worry about getting lost as it is located right in front of Hiraoka Station.

The orderly rows of trees and stone pavements calm my mind. After climbing the slightly steep, long stone steps lined with stone lanterns on the gentle slope, there is a very majestic yet modest building. I thought this was the main structure of the shrine, but when I asked a pilgrim who happened to be there, I was told that this is the hall of worship, the place for prayer, and the main deities reside in the beautiful main shrine behind this building, with a striking contrast of red and white. The contrast between simplicity and splendor was very interesting and left a strong impression on me.

It is said that four deities are enshrined at this shrine. Moreover, these are gods from the mythological age, and it is said that the history of this shrine dates back to before the Common Era.

For now, it hasn't been trampled by tourists, so I enjoyed a peaceful walk to my heart's content. However, it is said that if you visit when the plum blossoms are in bloom, you can have a wonderful experience different from this season. I would like to visit again at that time.