Owari's Second Shrine and Its Twin-Gabled Hall
Oagata Shrine (大縣神社) in Miyayama, Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture, is the second-ranked shrine of Owari Province, and two of its buildings, rebuilt in 1661, the main hall and the ritual hall with east and west corridors, were designated an Important Cultural Property on June 5, 1981. A fence, an old plan and 13 ridge tablets (12 for the main hall and 1 for the ritual hall) are designated with them.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the shrine honours Oagata no Okami, ancestral deity of the settlers of Owari, and has long been revered as the province's second shrine. The present buildings were restored by the Owari lord Tokugawa Mitsuyoshi (later Mitsutomo) and follow a shrine layout peculiar to Owari. Aichi Prefecture's tourism site credits the second Owari lord, Tokugawa Mitsutomo, with the restoration of 1661.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The buildings were designated an Important Cultural Property in 1981. The Agency values the main hall as an unusual, well-built example of the hiyoku irimoya style, related in form to the hachiman style, and the layout as showing regional character, making the shrine an important remnant in the history of shrine architecture. The Aichi tourism site adds that the buildings faithfully transmit the Owari style and that the main hall, called the mitsumune or Oagata style, is unlike any other.
According to the Agency, the main hall consists of an inner sanctuary 3 ken by 2 ken under a hip-and-gable roof and an outer sanctuary with a broad floor, also 3 ken by 2 ken under a hip-and-gable roof, joined by a connecting bay of 1 ken at the back and fronted by an eave of 1 ken, all roofed in cypress bark, with an attached tsuriya. Setting two hip-and-gable roofs front and back and joining them is what gives the hiyoku irimoya style its name.
What to Look For
In front of the main hall stands the ritual hall with its corridors. According to the Agency, the ritual hall is a four-legged gate with a gabled roof, joined on each side by a corridor 5 ken by 2 ken, all in cypress bark, with walls attached at either end. This arrangement, with ritual hall and corridors enclosing the front of the main hall, is characteristic of shrines in Owari.
At the main hall, look at the hip-and-gable roofs set one behind the other. The overlapping cypress-bark roofs of the hiyoku irimoya style are found almost nowhere else.
Visiting
According to Aichi Prefecture's tourism site, the shrine is open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day, free of charge, with parking. The address is 3 Miyayama, Inuyama City (0568-67-1017).
It is 20 minutes on foot from Gakuden Station on the Meitetsu Komaki Line, or about 15 minutes by car from the Komaki exit of the Meishin Expressway or the Komaki-higashi exit of the Chuo Expressway (Aichi Prefecture).
Q&A
- When were Oagata Shrine's buildings built?
- They were restored in 1661 by the Owari lord Tokugawa Mitsutomo (Mitsuyoshi).
- When were they designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On June 5, 1981, covering the main hall and the ritual hall with its corridors.
- What is special about the main hall?
- It is an unusual hiyoku irimoya hall with two hip-and-gable roofs set front and back, also called the Oagata style.
- What kind of shrine is Oagata Shrine?
- The second-ranked shrine of Owari, honouring Oagata no Okami, ancestral deity of the region's settlers.
- What are the visiting hours?
- 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily, free of charge.
Basic Information
| Name | Oagata Shrine (大縣神社) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3 Miyayama, Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1981/6/5 (Showa 56) |
| Quantity | 2 buildings (main hall; ritual hall with corridors), with 1 fence, 1 old plan and 13 ridge tablets |
| Dimensions | Main hall: inner and outer sanctuaries each 3 ken by 2 ken, single storey, hip-and-gable roofs, cypress bark |
| Owner | Oagata Shrine |
| Public Access | Open 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (free) |
References
- 大縣神社 本殿 (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1252
- 大縣神社 祭文殿及び東西回廊 (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1253
- Oagata Shrine (Aichi Now, Aichi Prefecture tourism)
- https://aichinow.pref.aichi.jp/spots/detail/177/
Last verified: 2026.10.04
Cultural Treasures in the Same Area
All are within walking distance in the same area, so we recommend visiting them together.
- Oagata Shrine Main shrine 0.00 km
- Oagata Shrine Saimonden Hall and East-West Corridors 0.04 km