A Date Written Under the Floor
The Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine (曽我家住宅稲荷社, Soga-ke Jūtaku Inarisha) is a small household shrine built in 1867 in the garden of the Soga family property in Honchō 1-chōme, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, entered on the register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on 18 October 2006.
Inari is the deity of rice and prosperity, and many merchant households in Japan kept a small Inari shrine on their land. This one stands south of the main house, directly ahead as you pass the gateposts on Honchō-dōri, and faces east. The shrine itself covers just 1.6 square metres and is completely enclosed by a protective sheath building.
Its date is known precisely because of an ink inscription on the underside of the floor. According to Kiryu City, it records that the deity was installed on the fifteenth day of the eleventh month of 1867 and names the Kakiage family, sake brewers who owned the land before the Soga family. When the Soga family bought the property in 1917, the shrine came with it.
Carving That Cannot Easily Be Reproduced
The Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine was registered under a different criterion from its four neighbours. They were listed for their contribution to the historic landscape; the shrine was listed as work that would not be easy to reproduce.
It is a one-bay shrine in the Nagare-zukuri style, with a single bay across the front and a long, flowing front roof. The rafters (Taruki) are closely spaced and set in two tiers, the roof is covered in wooden boards, and a raised platform sits before the entrance.
The carving is what earns the listing. A dragon rides on the tie beam (Kōryō) of the entrance canopy (Kōhai), and lions are carved on the projecting ends of the head tie beam (kashiranuki). The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the work as exquisitely detailed. On a building of 1.6 square metres, the same repertoire of ornament found on a full-size shrine hall has been reduced in scale and packed in.
The Shrine Inside Its Shelter
The Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine is housed within a sheath building (ōiya). Its front is hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) and its back gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri), roofed in sheet metal, with a pair of lattice doors across the front.
The shelter acts as a shell, keeping rain and wind off the board roof and the carving. What an onlooker actually sees is the shelter's roof and lattice; the dragon and lions only show themselves to someone standing right at the doors.
Visiting the Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine
The Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine is a private household shrine and is not open for worship or visits. The ground inside the gateposts is private property.
From Honchō-dōri, the shelter is visible straight ahead between the posts. The carvings are behind its lattice and cannot be seen from the street. Kiryu City asks for permission to be obtained before photographing buildings in the preservation district.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine
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Q&A
- When was the Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine built?
- In 1867. An ink inscription under the floor records that the deity was installed in the eleventh month of that year and names the Kakiage family.
- Did the Soga family build the Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine?
- No. The inscription names the Kakiage family, sake brewers who owned the land earlier. The Soga family bought the property in 1917 and kept the shrine.
- Why is the Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered as work that would not be easy to reproduce. The one-bay nagare-zukuri shrine carries finely detailed carving, including a dragon on the canopy tie beam and lions on the beam ends.
- Can you see the carvings on the Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine from the street?
- No. The carvings are inside the lattice-fronted shelter. From the gateposts on Honchō-dōri you can see the shelter building only.
- Can visitors pray at the Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine?
- No. It is a private household shrine and is not open to worshippers or visitors. Please do not enter the grounds, and ask permission before taking photographs.
Basic Information
| Name | Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine (曽我家住宅稲荷社) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-7-7 Honcho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on 18 October 2006 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber shrine, board roof; building area 1.6 m²; with protective shelter |
| Owner | Private (owner not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior viewable from the street only) |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005754
- Kiryu City: Soga Family Residence (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1002005.html
- Kiryu City: Soga Family Residence Inari Shrine, commentary PDF (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/002/005/soga_inari.pdf
- Kiryu City: Outline of the Kiryu Shinmachi Preservation District (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/spot/denken/about/1003081.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
