Sanno Shrine, a Branch Shrine of Tsuma Shrine: The Eastern End of the Row
The Sanno Shrine, a Branch Shrine of Tsuma Shrine (都萬神社末社山王神社, Tsuma Jinja Massha Sannō Jinja) is a small subsidiary shrine building of 1916 in the precinct of Tsuma Shrine in Karijuku, Osaki Town, Soo District, Kagoshima Prefecture, entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2009.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a small shrine facing south just east of the Gorin Daimyojin Shrine. It is 1 bay square, with a hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) copper-sheet roof, a one-bay porch (Kōhai) and a footprint of 1.2 square metres. It was renovated around 2005.
Of the buildings strung out east and west from the main hall, the Sanno Shrine is the last on the east.
Why the Sanno Shrine, a Branch Shrine of Tsuma Shrine Was Registered
The Sanno Shrine, a Branch Shrine of Tsuma Shrine is registration number 46-0091, the last of the six consecutive numbers given to the precinct. It was registered on 2 November 2009 under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
The Agency closes its description of this shrine with a remark about the whole group: buildings put up at the same time as the main hall together form a traditional shrine landscape. The value lies partly in the building itself and partly in the fact that all six survive together.
The shrine has round pillars with three-block brackets (Mitsudo-gumi), a frog-leg strut (Kaerumata) in the middle of the bay and two layers of closely set rafters, careful work for a building one bay square.
What to Look For at the Sanno Shrine
The most distinctive detail of the Sanno Shrine, a Branch Shrine of Tsuma Shrine sits on top of the porch pillars. Each carries a large bearing block (daito) with a thin plate, a sarato, fixed beneath it like a saucer, and a three-block bracket rests on that. The sarato belongs to the vocabulary of Zen-style and Great Buddha-style building, and of the six records for the precinct, only this one mentions it.
In form and size the shrine closely matches the Ise Shrine west of the main hall. Both are 1 bay square with hip-and-gable roofs, both cover 1.2 square metres, and both use round pillars, three-block brackets and double rafters. To tell them apart, compare their porch brackets.
The Gorin Daimyojin Shrine next door to the west is a shelf-front flowing-roof shrine of 0.53 square metres, so the Sanno Shrine is noticeably larger and differently roofed.
Visiting the Sanno Shrine
The Sanno Shrine, a Branch Shrine of Tsuma Shrine stands toward the east of the precinct beside the Gorin Daimyojin Shrine, and can be seen from outside when you visit. Its interior is not open.
The saucer plate is a small piece at the base of the bearing block, so look up a little at the tops of the porch pillars to find it, and do not touch the building. We found no official guidance on photography. Directions and visiting conditions for the precinct are on the Tsuma Shrine page.
Q&A
- What is the Sanno Shrine, a Branch Shrine of Tsuma Shrine?
- A small subsidiary shrine of 1916 at the eastern end of the row of buildings at Tsuma Shrine in Osaki, Kagoshima. It is 1 bay square with a hip-and-gable copper roof, a one-bay porch and a footprint of 1.2 square metres.
- When was the Sanno Shrine, a Branch Shrine of Tsuma Shrine registered?
- It was registered on 2 November 2009 as number 46-0091, the last of the six numbers given to the precinct.
- What is the saucer-plated bearing block on the Sanno Shrine, a Branch Shrine of Tsuma Shrine?
- On each porch pillar, the large bearing block has a thin saucer-like plate, called a sarato, fixed to its base, with a three-block bracket above.
- How does the Sanno Shrine, a Branch Shrine of Tsuma Shrine differ from the Ise Shrine at Tsuma Shrine?
- They are almost identical in form and size. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out the saucer-plated bearing blocks on the Sanno Shrine's porch and the Wedded Rocks carving on the Ise Shrine's porch strut.
- Can visitors enter the Sanno Shrine, a Branch Shrine of Tsuma Shrine?
- No. It can be seen from outside within the precinct.
Basic Information
| Name | Sanno Shrine, a Branch Shrine of Tsuma Shrine (都萬神社末社山王神社) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1589 Nishisako, Karijuku, Osaki Town, Soo District, Kagoshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/11/2 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, copper-sheet roof, building area 1.2 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Exterior visible within the precinct; interior not open |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Sanno Shrine, Tsuma Shrine (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007946
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Ise Shrine, Tsuma Shrine (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007943
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Gorin Daimyojin Shrine, Tsuma Shrine (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007945
Last verified: 2026.09.27
