Haruna Shrine's Fabulous Dragons

Ancient Gunma shrine crawling with dragon carvings

Cathy Cawood Sep 20, 2016 - 1 min read

Pot-bellied figure surrounded by swirling clouds

The decorations on this hall are very impressive

Dragons decorate the pillars of his hall

Another dragon cavorting under the eaves

There are more dragons at the base of the hall

Many other fabulous beasts keep the dragons company

I liked Haruna Shrine in Takasaki, Gunma better than Tōshō-gu. One reason is the fabulous decorative wood carving on the buildings. Dragons cavort among flowers and other beasts under the eaves, crawl up the pillars, and curl around the wooden pilings of the buildings. A beautiful gate known as Double Dragon Gate features a dragon coiled into a circle on each door.

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Find out more about Haruna Shrine.

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...