Full-Scale Craft in 2.2 Square Metres
The Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Chozuya (茂木七郎右衛門家住宅琴平神社手水舎, chōzuya) in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, is the water pavilion where worshippers rinse their hands and mouth at Kotohira Shrine, the household shrine of the Mogi Shichiroemon soy sauce brewers; built in 1872 and moved in 1892, it was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 27 March 2018. It is a timber structure with a copper-sheet roof covering just 2.2 square metres.
It is the smallest of the 18 structures on the estate, yet the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a water pavilion of fully formal type. The pairing of tiny size with full formality is what makes it worth a close look.
It stands southeast of the main hall, aligned east to west. It was built in 1872, the same year as the main hall, and moved in 1892; where it stood before is not recorded in published sources.
Four Leaning Posts and Three-Bearing Brackets
The Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Chozuya measures 1 by 1 Ken bay under a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled copper roof. Its four posts are set Uchikorobi, tilted slightly inward at the top, which gives a small building a firmly planted stance.
The post heads are tied by beams whose ends project as carved kibana, a base plate runs round the top, and on it sit Mitsudo-gumi bracket sets with three bearing blocks. This is the structural vocabulary of temple halls and gates, carried over without shortcuts into a building of 2.2 square metres.
The gable ends have a Kōryō rainbow beam supporting a Taiheizuka strut, and the bargeboards carry a turnip-shaped Gegyo pendant with fins. The eaves are double-layered, with two tiers of rafters, and the roof sweeps up in a pronounced curve.
Moved in 1892
The year of the move, 1892, is also when the Okubunko storehouse is said to have come from the Takanashi Shūzō household, and the brick wall is dated to around then too. No source consulted explains why the pavilion was moved, but the registration records show work on both the house and the shrine precinct that year.
Chiba Prefecture attributes the main hall, kagura hall, plaque hall and water pavilion to the Tatekawa-school carpenters Satō Shōsuke Norihisa and Satoji Noritake. The registration number is 12-269, and it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Visiting
The precinct gate is normally shut and opens for public worship on the 10th of every month, when the exterior can be seen. No published information was found on whether the basin is in use.
The inward lean of the posts is easiest to read from a few steps back in front of the pavilion. Then move closer and look up at the bracket sets on the posts and the finned pendant on the gable. No published guidance was found on opening hours or photography, so follow any notices on the day. Directions are on the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When can I see the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Chozuya?
- Kotohira Shrine opens for public worship on the 10th of every month, when the exterior of the water pavilion can be seen.
- When was the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Chozuya built?
- It was built in 1872 and moved to its present position in 1892.
- How big is the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Chozuya?
- It covers 2.2 square metres, 1 by 1 bay, making it the smallest of the 18 registered structures on the estate.
- What details should I look for on the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Chozuya?
- The four inward-leaning posts, the three-bearing bracket sets, the rainbow beam and strut in the gable, the finned turnip-shaped pendant and the strongly curved roof.
- Where is the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Chozuya in the precinct?
- Southeast of the main hall, aligned east to west.
Basic Information
| Name | Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Chozuya (茂木七郎右衛門家住宅琴平神社手水舎) |
|---|---|
| Location | 339 Noda, Noda City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 12-269, criterion: contributing to the historic landscape |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/3/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, copper-sheet roof, area 2.2 square metres, 1 by 1 bay |
| Owner | Kotohira Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Precinct opens for public worship on the 10th of each month (exterior) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 茂木七郎右衛門家住宅琴平神社手水舎
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012124
- Cultural Heritage Online: 茂木七郎右衛門家住宅琴平神社手水舎 (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/431843
- Chiba Prefecture: Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Main House and Others (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/q111-103.html
- Noda City: Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.city.noda.chiba.jp/kurashi/kyoiku/bunka/1000585/1017161.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
