A Muromachi Shrine Hall on Mount Yatsuomote
The Kumaku Shrine Main Hall (久麻久神社本殿, Kumaku jinja honden) is the 1527 main hall of Kumaku Shrine in Yatsuomote-cho, Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture; it was protected under earlier law on April 6, 1929, and became an Important Cultural Property under the current law. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as 3 ken by 2 ken, a single storey under a hip-and-gable cypress-bark roof, with a front porch 3 ken wide; an inner shrine cabinet is designated with it.
According to Nishio City, Kumaku Shrine is an ancient shrine on the slopes of Mount Yatsuomote, a source of mica (kirara) that gave its name to the medieval estate of Kira. It is said to have been founded in the Taiho era (701 to 704) and is listed in the Engishiki register of shrines compiled in 927.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The hall was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1929. Nishio's tourism association describes it as a hip-and-gable hall with a three-bay porch and a cypress-bark roof, refined in its details, of a form rare in the prefecture and valuable as a shrine building with a known date. Its firm date of 1527, in the late Muromachi period, is central to its value.
Most shrine main halls are built in the nagare or kasuga style, so a hip-and-gable hall with a three-bay porch is unusual. In the past its deity was Gozu Tenno, and it was known as Taiho Tenno-sha or, after the locality, Arakawa Taiho Tenno; the Arakawa lords of Yatsuomote Castle were devout patrons (Nishio City).
What to Look For
Nishio City highlights the cypress-bark roof and the carving of the frog-leg struts and brackets under the eaves. Look closely at the carving above the posts of the three-bay porch.
There is more in the precinct. The old chinquapin trees beside the worship hall, with intertwined branches, are a city cultural property (Nishio Tourism Association). The shrine also holds a Heian-period statue of Gozu Tenno and Muromachi ceramic guardian dogs, both prefectural cultural properties, but these are not on public view (Nishio City).
Visiting
The main hall can be seen in the shrine precinct. According to Nishio City, take the Meitetsu Tobu Kotsu bus from Meitetsu Nishio Station to the Yatsuomote-nishi stop and walk 7 minutes, or take a taxi for about 10 minutes. Kumaku Shrine is at 77 Fumoto, Yatsuomote-cho, Nishio City; the shrine office is on 0563-57-0388 (Nishio Tourism Association).
Q&A
- When was the Kumaku Shrine Main Hall built?
- In 1527, in the late Muromachi period.
- When was it designated an Important Cultural Property?
- It was protected under earlier law on April 6, 1929, and became an Important Cultural Property under the current law.
- What style is the main hall?
- A 3 ken by 2 ken hip-and-gable hall with a three-bay front porch and a cypress-bark roof; an inner shrine cabinet is designated with it.
- What kind of shrine is Kumaku Shrine?
- An ancient shrine on Mount Yatsuomote, the mica source that gave the Kira estate its name, listed in the Engishiki register.
- How do I get there?
- Take the Meitetsu Tobu Kotsu bus from Nishio Station to Yatsuomote-nishi and walk 7 minutes.
Basic Information
| Name | Kumaku Shrine Main Hall (久麻久神社本殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 77 Fumoto, Yatsuomote-cho, Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture (Kumaku Shrine) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1929/4/6 (Showa 4) |
| Quantity | 1 building (with 1 shrine cabinet) |
| Dimensions | 3 ken by 2 ken, single storey, hip-and-gable roof, 3 ken porch, cypress bark |
| Owner | Kumaku Shrine |
| Public Access | Viewable in the precinct |
References
- 久麻久神社本殿 (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1238
- Kumaku Shrine (Nishio City)
- https://www.city.nishio.aichi.jp/sportskanko/bunka/1001473/1002598.html
- Kumaku Shrine (Nishio Tourism Association)
- https://nishiokanko.com/list/shop/kamakujinjya/
Last verified: 2026.10.04