Kiryu Tenmangu stands at the old northern end of Kiryu Shinmachi, the planned merchant district that grew with the textile trade. The shrine is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, but for travelers the draw is its carved, highly detailed early-modern architecture.
Start a walk here if you want the city to make sense. From the shrine, Honcho Street runs south through old shopfronts, textile buildings, and market sites that still carry the shape of Kiryu's commercial past.