A Carved Sanctuary by the Shiwaku Carpenters
The Sansho Shrine Honden (三所神社本殿) is the single-bay nagare-style main sanctuary of Sansho Shrine, built in 1830 on Honjima in the Shiwaku Islands, Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 31, 2022 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 9.2 square metres, registration number 37-0464, owned by Sansho Shrine.
A Shrine on Honjima in the Shiwaku Islands
According to the Kagawa Prefectural Ports Division, Honjima, 11 kilometres north of Marugame Port, is the central island of the Shiwaku Islands and was once the base of the Shiwaku seafarers. Their skill at sea made them official shipmen to the Tokugawa shogunate, and in 1860, 35 Shiwaku men crewed the Kanrin Maru on the first Japanese crossing of the Pacific.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Sansho Shrine stands on Honjima; its main sanctuary of 1830 and worship and offering hall of 1897 were registered on October 31, 2022, both showing the skill of the Shiwaku carpenters in their carving.
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Sansho Shrine Honden was registered as a structure that would not be easy to reproduce. The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises the carved panels and the fully rounded carvings of its brackets and beam ends as intricate and full of life, showing the skill of the Shiwaku carpenters.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a one-bay nagare-style sanctuary roofed in hongawara tiles, set on a two-tier dressed stone base and a plastered mound, with a railed veranda on the front and sides and screens at either side of the core.
The highlight of the Sansho Shrine Honden is its carving, on the bracket panels, angled brackets and beam ends (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The Sansho Shrine Honden stands within the grounds of Sansho Shrine. No public access information has been confirmed, so please respect worshippers. The address is 635 Honjima-cho, Marugame City; Honjima is reached by boat from Marugame Port. Both registered buildings are gathered on the group page Sansho Shrine (Honjima).
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Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1830 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What style is it?
- A one-bay nagare-style sanctuary with tiled roof, on a two-tier stone base (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What are the highlights?
- Intricate, lively carvings showing the skill of the Shiwaku carpenters (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can visitors see it?
- It stands in the shrine grounds, but no public access information has been confirmed.
- When was the Sansho Shrine Honden registered?
- On October 31, 2022.
Basic Information
| Name | Sansho Shrine Honden (三所神社本殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 635 Honjima-cho, Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2022/10/31 (Reiwa 4) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof, building area 9.2 square metres |
| Owner | Sansho Shrine |
| Public Access | Shrine grounds; no public access information |
References
- Sansho Shrine Honden (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014413
- Sansho Shrine Heihaiden (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014414
- Honjima Port (Kagawa Prefectural Ports Division, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.kagawa.lg.jp/documents/13082/honjima.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.12
