A Small Stone Shrine in a Schoolyard
The Hoanden of the Former Okusa Elementary School (旧大草尋常高等小学校奉安殿) is a single-storey stone hoanden built in 1936 in a corner of the former schoolyard at Okusa, Daiwa-cho, Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on January 26, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey stone structure with a building area of 2.9 square metres on a base, altered in 1969; registration number 34-0104, owned by Mihara City.
Prewar Schools and the Hoanden
A hoanden was a small building in prewar Japanese schools that housed the portraits of the emperor and empress and the Imperial Rescript on Education.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the Hoanden of the Former Okusa Elementary School stands on a stone base in a corner of the schoolyard, only 1.7 metres wide and 1.7 metres deep.
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Hoanden of the Former Okusa Elementary School was registered as a building that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a stone hoanden of distinctive form.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a body of coursed ashlar with Doric-style columns at the front carrying a canopy, a roof stone with upturned corners topped by a jewel-shaped finial, and small gables on all four sides.
The Hoanden of the Former Okusa Elementary School combines Western columns with the curved eaves and finial of Japanese architecture in a small but carefully designed form (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The Hoanden of the Former Okusa Elementary School is at 9068-1 Okusa, Daiwa-cho, Mihara City. No public access information has been confirmed, so contact Mihara City before planning a visit.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1936, with alterations in 1969 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How large is it?
- 1.7 by 1.7 metres, a stone building of 2.9 square metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What are its design features?
- Doric-style columns under a canopy, and an upturned roof with a jewel finial and four small gables (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where does it stand?
- On a stone base in a corner of the former schoolyard (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Hoanden of the Former Okusa Elementary School registered?
- On January 26, 2011.
Basic Information
| Name | Hoanden of the Former Okusa Elementary School (旧大草尋常高等小学校奉安殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 9068-1 Okusa, Daiwa-cho, Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/01/26 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Stone, single storey, building area 2.9 square metres, on a base |
| Owner | Mihara City |
| Public Access | No public access information |
References
- Hoanden of the Former Okusa Elementary School (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008571
Last verified: 2026.10.11