A Vermilion Worship Hall with Elegant Roofs
The Nishinomiya Shrine Worship Hall (西宮神社拝殿) is a reinforced concrete worship hall completed in 1961 at Nishinomiya Shrine in Shakecho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, which in 2025 was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey concrete building with a copper roof and a building area of 215 square metres, registered as a model of design.
The Agency places it directly in front of the main hall.
Structure
According to the Agency, it has a copper hip-and-gable roof entered on the long side, with a dormer gable on the south and a porch with a cusped eave; another cusped eave projects on the north.
Galleries extend north from both sides to form a cloister around the sacred courtyard, painted in different colours inside and out.
What to Look For
The Agency praises the elegant, festive composition of its roofs. The shrine notes that the vermilion hall's central plaque was dedicated by Nakauchi Isao, founder of the Daiei supermarket chain, when his company became the first Japanese retailer to reach one trillion yen in annual sales.
On the ceiling above the Ebisu side inside hangs a golden sea bream dedicated by Hanshin Electric Railway.
Visiting
Worshippers pray from the worship hall. From the front, look at how the dormer gable and cusped eave layer the roof.
The shrine's history, the layout of the grounds, directions and opening hours are on the Nishinomiya Shrine group page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nishinomiya Shrine Worship Hall
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Q&A
- When was the Nishinomiya Shrine Worship Hall built?
- It was completed in 1961.
- How is the worship hall built?
- In reinforced concrete, with a copper hip-and-gable roof.
- What is special about its roof?
- A dormer gable and cusped-eave porch on the south, and another cusped eave on the north.
- Who dedicated the plaque?
- Nakauchi Isao, founder of Daiei, according to the shrine.
- What are the galleries?
- Cloisters extending north from the hall to enclose the sacred courtyard.
Basic Information
| Name | Nishinomiya Shrine Worship Hall (西宮神社拝殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 11 Shakecho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2025/3/13 (Reiwa 7) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, single storey, copper roof, building area 215 square metres |
| Owner | Nishinomiya Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Viewable within the grounds |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Nishinomiya Shrine Worship Hall (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00015343
- Nishinomiya Shrine: Precinct Guide (Japanese)
- https://nishinomiya-ebisu.com/guide/guide-2/
Last verified: 2026.09.28
