By ando 
In Adogawa-cho, Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture, located in the northwestern part of Lake Biwa, stands an ancient jinja with a difficult-to-read and mystical-sounding name: Harufu jinja (波爾布神社). Although it is a Shikinaisha, a jinja listed in the Engishiki Jinmyocho, it is enveloped in a tranquil atmosphere that seems to reject the mundane world. We will delve into the charm of this jinja and the historical mysteries hidden within it.
Basic Information
Name: Harufu jinja (波爾布神社)
Location: 1155 Kamigamo, Adogawa-cho, Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture
Main kami: Harufu no kami (波爾布神)
Annual Festival (Reisai): May 4
The Mystery of the Name “Harufu (波爾布)”
What first catches the eye is its unique jinja name. The combination of kanji characters “波爾布” has an archaic feel, similar to Manyogana, but there are various theories about its origin, and it remains shrouded in mystery.
One theory suggests that this area was once a place meaning “Hafu” (burial ground or tomb), or that the name evolved from “Hanyu” (埴生), meaning “clayey soil.” However, what is most intriguing is that the local place name is “Kamigamo” (上鴨).
The “Former Shrine” Theory of Kyoto’s Kamigamo jinja and the Footprints of the Kamo Clan
Many people, upon hearing the place name “Kamigamo” where Harufu jinja is located, will think of Kyoto’s World Heritage site, Kamigamo jinja (Kamo Wakeikazuchi jinja). In fact, this is the greatest historical romance associated with this jinja.
There is a theory that in ancient times, the Kamo clan, a powerful aristocratic family, migrated from the Sea of Japan side, through this region of Takashima, and eventually settled in Kyoto. Harufu jinja is believed to have been one of the bases where the Kamo clan enshrined their ancestral spirits and guardian kami before their move to Kyoto.
In fact, the place name “Shimogamo” also remains around the jinja, suggesting the possibility that the “Kamigamo-Shimogamo” structure of Kyoto already existed as a prototype in this Takashima region. Perhaps the “origin” of Kyoto’s vibrant Kamo culture is hidden within this quiet forest. When you consider this, even the sound of the wind rustling through the trees in the jinja grounds feels like the breath of ancient times.
An “Ancient Presence” Drifts Through the Grounds
The grounds of Harufu jinja are not particularly large. However, as soon as you step inside, you are enveloped in a profound silence that sets it apart from the surrounding rural landscape.
The Honden (main sanctuary) is a Tangible Cultural Property designated by Shiga Prefecture. While it conveys the architectural style of the early Edo period, its stone foundation and the giant trees surrounding it possess a primal strength, reminiscent of the Iwakura (sacred rock) belief from a much earlier time, where kami are said to have descended.
Insider’s Tip for Visitors: A “Sanctuary of Silence” Known to a Select Few
Harufu jinja is not a jinja developed for mass tourism. Therefore, it is rarely crowded with visitors seeking goshuin (red seal stamps). However, this is precisely its greatest charm.
According to local lore, there were times when it was said that damaging the jinja’s forest would bring a curse, and thus its untouched nature and sacred atmosphere have been preserved. Among people with spiritual sensitivities, it is secretly passed down as “one of the best purification spots on the west shore of Lake Biwa.”
In Conclusion
Takashima City in Shiga Prefecture has many famous spots like Shirahige jinja, but if you wish to touch upon the depths of history, by all means, pay a visit to Harufu jinja.
Guided by the mysterious sound of “Harufu,” when you visit the land of Kamigamo, you will find yourself standing at the entrance to a magnificent ancient mystery that could even rewrite the history of Kyoto.
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