- Category: Shrine / templeArea: Hirosaki-shi
Iwakiyama-jinja Shrine Iwakiyama Shrine sits at the foot of Mount Iwaki, and has a history of over 1,200 years. From the torii entrance gate to the main inner shrine, or honden (本殿), is a nice, long path. The worship hall, or shaden (社殿) is nicknamed “Oku-nikko”, as its intricate carvings and designs resemble that of the walls of Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine in Tochigi prefecture.
Ishiba Family Residence The Ishiba Family Residence locates in the city of Hirosaki in Aomori prefecture. The traditional house is a national important cultural property, and is one of the few remaining merchant residences of the Tohoku region. The house is said to have been built around the mid-Edo period (1603 – 1867). The Ishibas were a family of merchants that sold sundry goods, and their heads were named Seibei every generation. The building is still being used as a house, and only a part of it is open to the public. The inside of the house has not changed much since the Edo period, with items such as a traditional irori hearth still remaining in the house. Today, the house is also used as a brewery. You can purchase locally brewed sake at the house.