A Muromachi Shrine Hall in Eastern Mino
The Takenami Shrine Main Hall (武並神社本殿) is a shrine sanctuary of 1564, in the late Muromachi period, at Takenami Shrine in Mori, Oi-cho, Ena City, Gifu Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on May 19, 1989. The shrine enshrines the three Kamakura shoguns, Minamoto no Yoritomo, Yoriie and Sanetomo (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as three bays by two, single-storey, with a hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) roof, a three-bay porch and cypress-bark roofing. Gifu Prefecture notes that an inscribed plaque and a ridge tag are designated with it. It is owned by Takenami Shrine.
Why It Was Designated
The Takenami Shrine Main Hall was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1989. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes Muromachi characteristics in details such as the brackets, the cove panels, the connecting tie beams and the frog-leg struts, and values it as one of the few medieval shrine buildings in eastern Mino.
Gifu Prefecture adds that the shrine's records say it was completed in 1672, yet the frame, brackets, tie beams, struts and bracket ends appear to be late Muromachi, while the veranda, the division between inner and outer sanctuaries and the gable ornament are thought to be repairs of the Kanbun era.
What to Look For
The Takenami Shrine Main Hall is a hip-and-gable hall with a three-bay porch across the front. It is low for its size, and its deep eaves give it a settled appearance (Agency for Cultural Affairs). From the front, the deep eaves and broad porch layer over the low body.
According to Gifu Prefecture, the core has round pillars while the porch has square ones. The brackets are of the projecting three-block type, with struts and cove panels between them, and frog-leg struts (kaerumata) decorate the porch. The eaves have two tiers of close-set rafters. Curiously, the porch pillars are square though they stand on round bases, and it is not known whether that is original or the result of later repair.
Visiting the Takenami Shrine Main Hall
The Takenami Shrine Main Hall is in Mori, Oi-cho, Ena City. We found no official information on interior access or visiting arrangements; the exterior can be seen from the shrine grounds.
Q&A
- When was the Takenami Shrine Main Hall built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives 1564; the shrine's records say it was completed in 1672, and parts are Kanbun-era repairs (Gifu Prefecture).
- What is enshrined at Takenami Shrine?
- The three Kamakura shoguns, Minamoto no Yoritomo, Yoriie and Sanetomo (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why is the Takenami Shrine Main Hall an Important Cultural Property?
- Its brackets, tie beams and struts show Muromachi features, and it is one of the few medieval shrine buildings in eastern Mino (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What does the Takenami Shrine Main Hall look like?
- A low hip-and-gable hall with deep eaves and a three-bay porch (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Takenami Shrine Main Hall designated?
- On May 19, 1989.
Basic Information
| Name | Takenami Shrine Main Hall (武並神社本殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | Mori, Oi-cho, Ena City, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1989/5/19 (Heisei 1) |
| Quantity | 1 building (with inscribed plaque and ridge tag) |
| Dimensions | 3 by 2 bays, single storey, irimoya roof, three-bay porch, cypress-bark roof |
| Owner | Takenami Shrine |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the grounds (no official information on interior access) |
References
- Takenami Shrine Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1058
- Takenami Shrine Main Hall with plaque and ridge tag (Gifu Prefecture)
- https://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/page/354010.html
Last verified: 2026.10.06