About the Small Shrine
The Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine (椛島家住宅祠, Kabashima-ke Jūtaku Hokora) in Nijotanaka, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is a miniature timber shrine of the late Meiji period (1898 to 1912), registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 2, 2017.
The Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine measures 0.65 meters on each side, with a building area of 0.42 square meters, making it the smallest of the 8 registrations on the estate. Its register number is 40-0144. It stands northeast of the larger shrine.
Brick Plinth and Crossed Sills
The Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine sits on a plinth of brick, its ridge running north to south under a gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) of sheet metal, entered from the gable end (Tsumairi).
Its posts rise from sill timbers laid in a crossed, well-curb pattern. The south face, the only opening, has a pair of hinged lattice doors; the other 3 sides are vertical boards (Tateita-bari). Inside, an upright, elongated stone is enshrined.
Two Shrines Guarding the Northeast
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine as a hokora that, with the larger shrine, guards the kimon of the estate. The kimon, or "demon gate", is the northeast, long regarded in Japan as the direction from which misfortune enters. Northeast of the main house stands the shrine, and northeast of that the hokora, so the two are stacked along the same line.
At about 65 centimeters a side, the building still has every part of a shrine: plinth, sill, lattice doors. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, one element of the view at the back of the grounds.
Seeing the Small Shrine
The Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine stands at the back of the estate, northeast of the larger shrine. The official site does not say whether visitors can approach it on open days (checked September 28, 2026).
The stone inside is still venerated. If you see it, leave the lattice doors untouched and ask the owners before taking photographs.
Q&A
- How big is the Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine?
- 0.65 meters on each side, with a building area of 0.42 square meters. It is the smallest of the 8 registered structures on the estate.
- What is enshrined in the Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine?
- According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, an upright, elongated stone.
- How is the Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine built?
- On a brick plinth and crossed sill timbers, with a gabled sheet-metal roof entered from the gable end, lattice doors on the south and vertical boards elsewhere.
- Why does the Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine stand to the northeast?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs says that, together with the larger shrine, it guards the kimon, the northeast of the estate.
- When was the Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine registered?
- On May 2, 2017. It was built in the late Meiji period (1898 to 1912).
Basic Information
| Name | Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine (椛島家住宅祠) |
|---|---|
| Location | 101 Otsuka, Nijotanaka, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 40-0144 |
| Year Designated | Registered May 2, 2017 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-story timber building, sheet-metal roof, 0.65 meters on each side, building area 0.42 square meters |
| Owner | Kabashima family (private) |
| Public Access | Not open daily; opened during exhibitions held mainly in spring and autumn |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011591
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kabashima Family Residence Small Shrine
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/245178
- Registered Tangible Cultural Property: Kabashima Family Residence (Itoshima City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.itoshima.lg.jp/s033/010/020/010/190/20181004152257.html
- Registered Buildings (Kabashima Family Residence official site, in Japanese)
- https://kabashimake.com/buildings/
- Kabashima Family Residence official site (in Japanese)
- https://kabashimake.com/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
