The 'Hiro' (紘) in Hirohara was taken from the Greater East Asia War principle 'Hakkō ichiu' (八紘一宇), and the 'Hara' (原) was named after the Indonesian word 'Medan' (field).

[2] Medan had a sparse population nor had a rapid development until the middle of the Meiji era, when the Dutch rulers began to release land for tobacco plantations.

This shift in land use facilitated Medan's evolution into a prominent trading hub, subsequently elevating its status to a governmental center.

Soon word began to spread over the burgeoning prosperity of the city, attracting a wave of migrant laborers, notably from the Japanese community.

[7] Renowned poet Mitsuharu Kaneko, once also stayed at an inn in Medan's Indian quarter, Kampung Keling, during his travels to the Dutch East Indies in the early Showa period.

[4] According to Prof. Nakajima Michio (Former Rector of Kanagawa University), the building was designed by Suzuki Hiroyuki, an architect from Japan's Home Ministry.

[12][15] Although the basics of Islam were initially taught to the top executives of Japan’s military government, this education was not thoroughly implemented, leading to issues.

Given the limited construction during the three-year Japanese occupation of Indonesia, the Hirohara Shrine is considered a significant historical structure.

The process was abruptly ended when British forces immediately began landing at Belawan in 9 October and blitzed their way to the city of Medan,[17] facing little to no resistance and denying any movement for the Japanese to properly undertake any decisive actions.

The Club House was initially conceived as a convivial space for Dutch plantation owners where they could assemble for recreational activities.

This encompassed partaking in beverages such as coffee, engaging in smoking, and participating in discussions from literature and business to politics, art, and culture.

[21] Following the departure of the Dutch from Indonesia, former military members Dr. Soekarja, Dr. Hariono, and Dr. Ibrahim Irsan took over this clubhouse building and renamed it "Medan Club".

This led the delinquent absence in paying property tax since 2009, with a total debt of Rp.964,154,774, including late payment fines.

The celebration included cultural promotions such as Shodō, Sadō, Furoshiki Wrapping, as well as performance arts such as Yosakoi dance and karate.

[23] Amidst financial difficulties and the high cost of maintaining the shrine building, the Club find itself at the brink of bankruptcy.

This recognition was based on Medan City Government Decree (SK) number 433 of 2021, issued by Mayor Bobby Nasution.

[26][27] Though a spokesperson vaguely stated that the purchase of the Medan Club won't necessarily result in "its disappearance," intending to buy other plots near the building to replace it.

[36] On 16 January 2023, the barrier between the former shrine and the provincial office has been destroyed,[37] intending to use the land for parking space and local social activities for the time being.

[3] Meanwhile, plans are underway to construct a multi-purpose building on this site, serving as a hub for public services, permits, and other administrative functions.

[38] The North Sumatra Provincial Government is currently lobbying for the Perindo Party's building, located right next to the Medan Club, to sell its land.

[33][36] The club’s premises, which likely encompass the site of the old main shrine, feature Western-style partitioned rooms where members can eat local and western foods.

Though it might as well suggest that the honden enshrines Amaterasu Ōmikami, the Sun Goddess and highest deity in Shinto, making it a shinmei shrine.

Its unadorned surfaces, natural proportions, and raw wood evoked an aesthetic that had been cultivated over a thousand years, devoid of any display of power, ostentation, or vulgarity.