Nagata Shrine Hiruko Shrine

A shrine to the god also called Ebisu

Nagata Shrine Hiruko Shrine (長田神社蛭子社, Nagata Jinja Hiruko-sha) is a late Edo-period subsidiary shrine west of the worship hall of Nagata Shrine in Nagatacho, Nagata Ward, Kobe, moved to its present site in 1928 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 14, 2002. It is a one-bay Nagare-zukuri shrine with a copper roof and a building area of 0.79 square meters.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs reads the name as Hiruko-sha, though the same characters are often read Ebisu. The shrine describes its deity as a bringer of luck called either Hiruko or Ebisu, sometimes identified with Kotoshironushi in the main hall. The Agency dates the building to the late Edo period (1751 to 1829), one of the small shrines that escaped the fire of 1924.

Why the Nagata Shrine Hiruko Shrine was registered

Registered as a model of form under number 28-0086, the Nagata Shrine Hiruko Shrine stands side by side with the Izumo Taisha Shrine and is built almost the same way, only a little smaller. The Agency records its dimensions to the tenth of a sun: 2 shaku 3 sun wide, 2 shaku 1 sun 1 bu deep, a porch (Kōhai) 1 shaku 5 sun 9 bu deep, and a ridge 10 shaku 9 sun 4 bu high. The floor is under one square meter, but the ridge stands more than three meters up. Originally bare wood, it was painted red when it was moved.

What to look for at the Nagata Shrine Hiruko Shrine

Stand where you can see the Nagata Shrine Hiruko Shrine and the Izumo Taisha Shrine together, both facing east. The Hiruko Shrine is the smaller of the two in plan, yet it is tall; note the narrow, upright proportions of a shrine barely 2 shaku across with a ridge over 10 shaku high. Directly opposite, across the worship hall, is the Matsuo Shrine, which the Agency describes as the same size and design.

Visiting the Nagata Shrine Hiruko Shrine

You can pray at the Nagata Shrine Hiruko Shrine and view the exterior freely; the interior is not open. Its festival falls on January 10, the same day the main hall celebrates Kotoshironushi as Ebisu. Access and general visiting details are on the Nagata Shrine page.