Iga Hachiman Shrine is located 1.7 kilo-meter (approximately 1 mile) to the north of Okazaki Castle.
Iga Hachiman Shrine was originally built in 1470 by MATSUDAIRA Chikatada, who was an ancestor of TOKUGAWA Ieyasu. The purpose of the building of Iga Hachiman Shrine was to be a tutelary deity of the MATSUDAIRA Family.

Along the main street from the downtown Okazaki City to the north, you will see the front-guard-frame of Iga Hachiman Shrine, shown in the top picture. TOKUGAWA Ieyasu came to the shrine to pray for certain victory, before wars and battles.

When you pass through the first and the second front-guard-frames, you will cross a sacred bridge across Iga River. You will see a grove of the shrine beyond the sacred bridge. When you pass the grove, you will be inside the shrine. "Zuishin-Mon" gate and a stone are located in front of shrine buildings.

"Zuishin-Mon" gate is a gorgeous gate tower, built in 1611 by TOKUGAWA Ieyasu and is designated as a national important cultural property of Japan.

A stone bridge in front of "Zuishin-Mon" is also a designated important cultural property of Japan. Now, the bridge is prohibited to cross to protect the property.

The main buildings of shines consist of a hall of worship, a hall of offerings and a holy shrine. In most cases, People come to the front of a hall of offerings and pray there.
However, in the case of Iga- Hachiman Shrine, a place for prayer is prepared in front of main buildings of the shrine and off-limits beyond the place for prayers.

The main shine buildings, shown in the blow picture, were also built by TOKUGAWA Ieyasu in 1611 and are designated as important properties of Japan.

It is said that those buildings and gates rumbled at the war of Sekigahara and the siege of Osaka, which were very important battles for Ieyasu to be a "Shogun". The rumor says front-guard-frames of Iga Hachiman Shrine even moved at these times. There are other anecdotes that Iga Hachiman Shrine protected and guarded Ieyasu.

April 17th is the deathday of TOKUGAWA Ieyasu. Iga Hachiman Shrine holds a festival to calm Ieyasu's soul on the day every year.

How to get there
Take a Meitetsu Bus from Higashi-Okazaki Station or Tono-bashi, after visiting Okazaki Castle to Daijyuji and get off at the Hachimansha-Mae bus stop.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Cherry blossoms along Iga River
Okazaki Castle
Daijyuji Temple