A Meiji Hall at Katori Shrine
The Kaunkaku (香雲閣) is a Japanese-style building of about 1900 in the precinct of Katori Shrine in Katori City, Chiba Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 15, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building of 304 square metres with a tiled roof; registration number 12-0036.
A Hall for Gatherings at Katori Shrine
Kaunkaku is a two-storey hipped Japanese-style building facing south, north-east of the main shrine buildings of Katori Shrine (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It has long been used for meetings and for the naorai feast after rites, and apart from some fittings was completed about 1900.
Chiba Prefecture's list gives its address as 1697-1 Katori and its owner as Katori Shrine. The shrine's worship hall, offering hall and offering-preparation hall, registered in 2001, stand in the same precinct (Chiba Prefecture).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that, though large, it is well proportioned and fits harmoniously into the shrine precinct.
What to Look For
Look for the cusped karahafu gable over the entrance on the ground floor and the well-proportioned hipped form of the large building (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
Kaunkaku stands in the Katori Shrine precinct, and its exterior can be seen within the grounds. No official information on interior access was found.
Q&A
- When was Kaunkaku built?
- About 1900 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is Kaunkaku?
- In the precinct of Katori Shrine in Katori City, north-east of the main buildings.
- What should I look for?
- The karahafu entrance and the well-proportioned hipped exterior.
- Can I visit Kaunkaku?
- The exterior is visible within the precinct; no interior access information was found.
- When was the Kaunkaku registered?
- On February 15, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kaunkaku (香雲閣) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1697-1 Katori, Katori City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/02/15 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, tiled roof, 304 m² |
| Owner | Katori Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible within the shrine precinct |
References
- Kaunkaku (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001492
- Cultural properties of Katori City (Chiba Prefectural Board of Education, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/shitei/shichouson/katori-kenzou.html
Last verified: 2026.10.15