Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Chiba

Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Plaque Hall (Ema Hall)

Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Ema Hall, 1896

An 1896 open-sided hall for votive plaques at a Noda soy brewer's household shrine, walled only at the back, with a bench inside. Visible on the 10th of each month.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Chiba

A Hall for Votive Pictures

The Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Plaque Hall (Ema Hall) (茂木七郎右衛門家住宅琴平神社額殿（絵馬殿）, Gakuden or Emaden) in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, is a small open-sided hall for displaying votive plaques and paintings at Kotohira Shrine, the household shrine of the Mogi Shichiroemon soy sauce brewers, built in 1896 and entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 27 March 2018. It is a one-storey timber building with a copper-sheet roof and a building area of 7.4 square metres.

Ema are the painted wooden plaques that worshippers offer with a prayer or in thanks, and gaku are framed boards; this building exists to hang them, and according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs they are hung both inside and out. It stands between the main hall and the kagura hall, and its date falls neatly between theirs: 1872 for the main hall, 1920 for the kagura hall.

Open on Three Sides

The Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Plaque Hall measures 1 by 2 Ken bays. Only the back is walled with boards; the other three sides are left open, with no walls or doors, and the floor is bare earth. Visitors can step right in and look up at plaques hung on the walls and beams.

Against the back wall is a bench whose supporting frame is deliberately left on show, so you can sit and look at the offerings around you.

The Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof has a gentle upward swell and is covered in copper sheet. It lacks the flourish of the karahafu on the main hall and kagura hall, but its soft curve keeps it in tune with them.

Same Carpenters as the Main Hall

The Agency describes the Ema Hall as the work of the same Tatekawa-school carpenters as the main hall, carefully made. Chiba Prefecture names them for all four shrine buildings: Satō Shōsuke Norihisa and Satoji Noritake.

A plaque hall is a supporting building in any shrine. Still, giving a 7.4-square-metre open shelter a detail like the exposed bench frame shows carpenters who did not skimp on the minor jobs.

The registration number is 12-268, 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. Because the Ema Hall is open on three sides, on that day you can see right into it.

Look up and you should find plaques hanging on the beams and the back wall; no published source was found describing which ones are currently displayed. The bench frame at the back is easy to see from the earthen floor. 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

QWhen can I see the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Plaque Hall?: AKotohira Shrine opens for public worship on the 10th of every month. The Ema Hall is open on three sides, so on that day you can see right into it.

QWhen was the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Plaque Hall built?: AIn 1896, between the main hall (1872) and the kagura hall (1920).

QWhat is the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Plaque Hall used for?: ADisplaying votive plaques (ema) and framed boards, inside and out. It is walled only at the back, open on three sides, with an earthen floor and a bench against the back wall.

QWho built the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Plaque Hall?: AThe Agency for Cultural Affairs attributes it to the same Tatekawa-school carpenters as the main hall; Chiba Prefecture names them as Satō Shōsuke Norihisa and Satoji Noritake.

QWhat is the roof of the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Plaque Hall like?: AA gabled roof with a gentle upward swell, covered in copper sheet, a quieter curve that keeps in tune with the karahafu roofs nearby.

Basic Information

Name	Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Shrine Plaque Hall (Ema Hall) (茂木七郎右衛門家住宅琴平神社額殿（絵馬殿）)
Location	339 Noda, Noda City, Chiba Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 12-268, criterion: contributing to the historic landscape
Year Designated	Registered 2018/3/27 (Heisei 30)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Single-storey timber building, copper-sheet roof, building area 7.4 square metres, 1 by 2 bays
Owner	Kotohira Shrine (religious corporation)
Public Access	Precinct opens for public worship on the 10th of each month (open-sided hall visible)