What Is the Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine?
The Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine (加藤家住宅鎮守社, Katō-ke Jūtaku Chinju no Yashiro) is a tiny household shrine east of the main house in a merchant family's compound in Aboshi-ku Yokohama, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture; it was built in the Meiji period (1868 to 1911) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2009.
A chinju is a guardian deity of a place or household, and many old families kept a small shrine to one in a corner of their grounds. The Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine measures 0.5 meters by 0.6 meters, with a building area of 0.31 square meters, about a fifth of a single tatami mat. It is the smallest of the eight registered buildings.
Why the Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine Was Registered
The Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Small as it is, it does not cut corners on the form of a shrine building. The base, the sill, the distinction between round and square posts and the plank door on the front all follow the same logic as the main hall of a full-size shrine. It also shows how a household deity's shrine was looked after within a merchant's compound.
What to Look for at the Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine
The Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine is a one-bay Nagare-zukuri shrine of the misedana type. Nagare-zukuri has a front roof slope extended forward over the entrance; misedana means the front floor projects like a shop counter with no steps, an arrangement common in small shrines. The roof is copper sheet.
It stands on a sill laid over a base of stacked granite. The inner chamber, which houses the deity, has round posts tied together with Nageshi tie beams, while the front Hisashi uses square posts to carry its beam. Round posts for the sacred core and square ones for the front is the usual arrangement in nagare-zukuri main halls.
The inner chamber opens at the front through a plank door; the other sides are walled with horizontal boards. All of this distinction between parts is worked into a building less than a meter wide.
Visiting the Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine
The Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine stands inside a private residence and is not open for worship or visits. It is east of the main house, within the grounds, and cannot be seen from outside.
The round and square posts and the granite base can be seen in the photographs on the Agency for Cultural Affairs database. Directions and visiting notes are on the page for the Kato Family Residence as a whole.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- When was the Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine built?
- In the Meiji period, between 1868 and 1911. The Agency for Cultural Affairs database gives no more precise date.
- How big is the Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine?
- It measures 0.5 meters by 0.6 meters, with a building area of 0.31 square meters, the smallest of the eight registered buildings.
- What style is the Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine?
- A one-bay nagare-zukuri shrine of the misedana type with a copper roof, standing on a sill over a stacked granite base.
- What is notable about the posts of the Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine?
- The inner chamber uses round posts tied with nageshi beams, while the front eave uses square posts, the usual arrangement in shrines of this type.
- Can visitors worship at the Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine?
- No. It stands within a private residence, is not open, and cannot be seen from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine |
|---|---|
| Location | 53-1 Aboshi-ku Yokohama, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 0.31 m² (0.5 m by 0.6 m) |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007518
- Himeji City: Kato Family Residence Guardian Shrine (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001731.html
- Himeji City: List of Registered Cultural Properties (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001691.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
