About the Kamiwano Bato Kannon Main Hall
The Kamiwano Bato Kannon Main Hall (上和野馬頭観世音本堂) is the 1914 main hall of a horse-headed Kannon shrine in Kaminoshimosawada, Shizukuishi Town, Iwate Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 1, 2016. It is a three-bay hall facing east in a precinct that opens eastward at the foot of Mount Sodeyama (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a single-storey wooden building with a copper roof and a building area of 41 square metres; registration number 03-0084, owned by the religious corporation Kamiwano Bato Kannon. The former hall, said to be its predecessor, was moved in the year this hall was built (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Kamiwano Bato Kannon Main Hall was registered as a building that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out its richly bracketed and carved decoration. It was built to house Bato Kannon in Shizukuishi, where devotion to horses ran deep in the country of the Nanbu horse (Shizukuishi Town).
What to Look For
The Kamiwano Bato Kannon Main Hall has a one-bay porch at the front and a balustraded veranda around the front and sides, ending in side screens (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The tops of the pillars are richly decorated with two-stepped bracket sets with tail rafters. The three-dimensional carvings around the porch and the patterned carving on the inner panels are the parts the Agency singles out. Stand in front and look up into the porch to see brackets and carving layered together.
Visiting the Kamiwano Bato Kannon Main Hall
We found no official information on interior access or visiting hours for the Kamiwano Bato Kannon Main Hall. The address and contact details are on the Kamiwano Bato Kannon page.
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Q&A
- When was the Kamiwano Bato Kannon Main Hall built?
- In 1914 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What should I look for at the Kamiwano Bato Kannon Main Hall?
- The two-stepped bracket sets with tail rafters, the carvings around the porch and the patterned inner panels (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Kamiwano Bato Kannon Main Hall registered?
- On August 1, 2016.
- How is the main hall related to the former hall?
- The former hall is said to be its predecessor and was moved in 1914, when this hall was built (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can you visit the Kamiwano Bato Kannon Main Hall?
- There is no official information on interior access; ask the Shizukuishi Town culture division.
Basic Information
| Name | Kamiwano Bato Kannon Main Hall (上和野馬頭観世音本堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 105 Kaminoshimosawada, Shizukuishi Town, Iwate District, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016/8/1 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey wooden building, copper roof, building area 41 square metres |
| Owner | Kamiwano Bato Kannon (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | No official information on interior access |
References
- Kamiwano Bato Kannon Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011031
- Registered Tangible Cultural Property: Kamiwano Bato Kannon Former Hall (Shizukuishi Town)
- https://www.town.shizukuishi.iwate.jp/docs/2020031900054/
Last verified: 2026.10.06
