An Ise Sanctuary Rebuilt in Shikoku
Ubushina Shrine Main Hall (Former Takanomiya Main Sanctuary), in the town of Utazu in Kagawa Prefecture, was built in 1953 as the sanctuary of Takanomiya, the first auxiliary shrine of the Outer Shrine at Ise, moved to Utazu in 1976, and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on 8 November 2004.
The buildings at Ise are taken down and rebuilt every twenty years in the ritual known as Shikinen sengū. Timbers and sometimes whole structures from the outgoing buildings are granted to shrines elsewhere in Japan. Ubushina Shrine Main Hall is one such grant. A fire in 1973 destroyed the shrine's sanctuary buildings in Utazu, and the sanctuary of Takanomiya, dismantled at the following Ise rebuilding, was given to Ubushina and re-erected on the low hill at the foot of Aonoyama.
The building covers 22 square metres, 3 bays by 2 bays. Small, but the form is Ise's own, carried across without dilution.
Why It Is Listed, and the Posts Sunk Into the Ground
The listing criterion applied here is that the building serves as a model of design. Most registered buildings in Japan qualify on the broader ground of contributing to the historic landscape; this narrower criterion is used sparingly. In the case of Ubushina Shrine Main Hall, what earned it was the exactness with which it preserves the Ise formula.
The roof is Kirizuma-zukuri, gabled, shaped as though thatched but sheathed in copper. No veranda runs around the building. Free-standing Munamochi-bashira rise clear of the gable walls to carry the ridge, and along the ridge sit Katsuogi billets and crossed Chigi finials. Together these features define Shinmei-zukuri, the oldest of the shrine architectural forms.
The columns deserve a closer look. Rather than resting on stone footings, they are set directly into pits dug in the earth. This is the buried-post method, a technique inherited from the fifth and sixth centuries. It is less durable than stone-footed construction, which is precisely why it survives at Ise: a building replaced every twenty years does not need to outlast its posts. Very few structures outside Ise show the method still in service, and this Registered Tangible Cultural Property is one of them.
Where to Stand
At the top of the stone steps stands the worship hall, a reinforced concrete building of the 1970s. The main sanctuary sits behind it and cannot be seen head-on. Walk around to the right and Ubushina Shrine Main Hall comes into view through the trees of the shrine grove, close enough to read the joinery. The copper has weathered to a settled greenish brown.
Look down at the base of the columns. They emerge straight from the ground with no footing stone in sight, which is the visible evidence of the buried-post technique.
Directly behind the building lies a boulder 5.5 metres high and 4 metres across. Called the iwasaka, it is held to mark a place of worship older than any building here, and the town of Utazu has designated it a natural monument. Ubushina Shrine Main Hall was set with its back to this rock. The relationship between the two can only be read from this side approach.
Visiting
There is no admission charge. Visitors climb the stone steps from the approach and may walk freely as far as the front of the worship hall. The interior of Ubushina Shrine Main Hall is not normally open, but the exterior can be viewed from the side, and photographing the exterior is unrestricted.
The shrine is about a 15-minute walk south of Utazu Station on the JR Yosan Line, through the old quarter of town and up onto the hill. Parking is available within the precincts. For the hours of the shrine office, or to ask about seal stamps, telephone the shrine on 0877-49-0805 before travelling.
The autumn festival falls on the fourth Saturday and Sunday of October and draws crowds from beyond the town. If your interest is the architecture, a weekday visit will serve you better.
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Q&A
- Can visitors see Ubushina Shrine Main Hall, and is there an admission fee?
- The precincts are free to enter, and the exterior of Ubushina Shrine Main Hall can be viewed from the side of the worship hall. The interior is not normally open.
- Why was Ubushina Shrine Main Hall moved here from Ise?
- It was built in 1953 as the sanctuary of Takanomiya at the Outer Shrine of Ise, dismantled at the next twenty-year rebuilding, and granted to Ubushina Shrine, which had lost its sanctuary buildings to fire in 1973. It was re-erected in Utazu in 1976.
- When was Ubushina Shrine Main Hall registered as a cultural property?
- On 8 November 2004, under registration number 37-0229. The criterion applied was that the building serves as a model of design.
- How do I get to Ubushina Shrine Main Hall?
- Walk about 15 minutes south from JR Utazu Station. There is parking inside the shrine grounds.
- May I photograph Ubushina Shrine Main Hall?
- Photography of the exterior is fine. During festivals or while rituals are in progress, follow the guidance given by the shrine office.
Basic Information
| Name | Ubushina Shrine Main Hall (Former Takanomiya Main Sanctuary) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1644 Utazu, Ayauta District, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration no. 37-0229 |
| Year Designated | Registered 8 November 2004 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 3 bays by 2 bays, floor area 22 square metres |
| Owner | Ubushina Shrine |
| Public Access | Precincts free of charge. Exterior viewable, interior not normally open |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Ubushina Shrine Main Hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004438
- Ubushina Shrine guide leaflet (Town of Utazu)
- https://www.town.utazu.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/1448.pdf
- Ubushina Shrine, Utazu Sanpomichi (Town of Utazu)
- https://sanpomichi.town.utazu.lg.jp/spot/entry/old/007499/
- Ubushina Shrine (Utazu Tourism Association)
- https://utazu-kanko.jp/tourism/ubushina-shrine
Last verified: 2026.09.08