Aoi Aso Shrine

Look to Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture to find a remarkably ancient shrine founded in the first year of Daido (806). Many locals revere this site as the main guardian over the Hitoyoshi-Kuma region and endearingly refer to it as “Aoi-san". The main hall, corridors, offering hall, worship hall, and gate were constructed between 1610 and 1613 during the Keicho era and keep the esteemed designation of National Treasure. Even in Japan, it’s an architectural rarity for all buildings on the shrine grounds to remain from the same building period.

The shrine buildings are decorated in vibrant, multicolored motifs of the Momoyama style, with the most distinctive feature being the steeply sloping thatched roof and high ridge. This steep thatched roof is a common characteristic of historical buildings in the Hitoyoshi-Kuma region. Look even closer and you might spot fine details like intricate carvings of dragons to symbolize Takeiwatatsu no Mikoto, the shrine deity across the walls.

In September 2023, the "Aoi no Mori National Treasure Memorial Hall" was completed on the shrine grounds. The memorial hall was constructed to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the shrine's designation as a National Treasure, with the design by architect Kengo Kuma. The gallery features exhibits such as a 400-year-old portable shrine.