Two Structures, an Important Cultural Property since 1953
Otonashi Shrine Buildings (鳴無神社, Otonashi Jinja) stand at Uranouchi Okuura Higashibun, Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture, listed as an Important Cultural Property on 31 March 1953. The listing is as an Important Cultural Property, not a National Treasure, and the owner is the shrine.
Two entries are listed: the main hall, and the offering hall with the worship hall. Each counts as one structure.
31 March 1953 is the day the Jodoji pagoda, Sofukuji Daiyuhoden, the rhinoceros-horn knife, the ivory comb and the sea-beast mirror became National Treasures. On one date, some properties became National Treasures and this one an Important Cultural Property.
Scarcity of Cultural Property in the Region Given as the Reason
The assessment rests on circumstances outside the object.
The Agency records that the shrine buildings were built in 1663, that they carry down the line of early Edo shrine architecture in the Toshogu manner, and that the presence of a survival of this kind is valuable in a region with few cultural properties.
In a region with few cultural properties, the record says, using an older spelling for the word few.
That the region has few cultural properties is itself given as the reason the survival is valuable.
At Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, the buildings were called important for their marked regional character. That concerns the nature of the thing.
Here it is a matter of how little of the same kind stands nearby. A condition outside the object supplies the reason for its value.
The Period Field and the Stylistic Line Do Not Match
Two statements about the time of the buildings disagree.
The period field reads middle Edo and the date field 1663.
The commentary, however, says the buildings carry down the line of early Edo architecture in the Toshogu manner.
The field says middle, the line early. When the buildings were made and when their style originated are written separately.
With the great ceremonial drums, the record called them an example of the earliest Kamakura retaining the feeling of the Heian. That concerns the feeling of an earlier age.
Here a definite line is named, the Toshogu manner, and that line is placed in the early Edo period.
The Offering Hall Runs Deeper Than It Is Wide
The dimensions run the opposite way to the usual.
The offering hall is one bay across the front and three bays deep, single-storeyed, gabled at the rear, joining the worship hall at its front, shingled.
One bay wide and three deep. The depth is greater than the width.
The worship hall is three bays across and two deep, single-storeyed, gabled, with a curved gable over the eaves at the front, shingled. That one is wider than it is deep.
The offering hall links the worship hall to the main hall, and takes a long narrow form.
At Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, the offering hall was four bays across and one deep, wider than it was deep. The same kind of hall runs the other way here. The main hall is a three-bay Kasuga-style building, shingled.
Visiting
The buildings stand at Uranouchi Okuura Higashibun, Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture, owned by the shrine.
The year of building is 1663. The Agency's record writes the era name with an older form of the character.
All the roofs are shingled: the main hall, the offering hall and the worship hall use the same material.
Kochi Prefecture also holds the ring-pommel sword with its blade and the Koya cutting of the Kokin Wakashu, the first owned by Omura Shrine and the second by the prefecture.
The buildings stand in the precinct and their exteriors can be seen on a visit. Interiors follow the shrine's own arrangements. Check before travelling.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kochi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Otonashi Shrine Buildings
- [ Katsurahama Beach & Kochi Castle Ryoma Tour ]
Q&A
- When were the buildings listed?
- On 31 March 1953, as an Important Cultural Property rather than a National Treasure. Two entries are covered: the main hall, and the offering hall with the worship hall.
- What is valued in them?
- The Agency writes that the presence of a survival of this kind is valuable in a region with few cultural properties. The scarcity in the region is itself the reason.
- When were they built?
- In 1663. The period field reads middle Edo, while the commentary places their stylistic line, the Toshogu manner, in the early Edo period.
- What shape is the offering hall?
- One bay across and three bays deep, so deeper than it is wide. It links the worship hall to the main hall and takes a long narrow form.
- How are the roofs finished?
- All are shingled. The main hall is a three-bay Kasuga-style building, and the worship hall carries a curved gable over the eaves at the front.
Basic Information
| Name | Otonashi Shrine Buildings (鳴無神社, Otonashi Jinja); the main hall and the offering hall with worship hall recorded separately |
|---|---|
| Location | Uranouchi Okuura Higashibun, Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (structures, religious architecture); not a National Treasure |
| Year Designated | 1953 (31 March), Important Cultural Property |
| Quantity | 1 structure for the main hall, 1 for the offering and worship halls |
| Dimensions | The main hall is a 3-bay Kasuga-style building, shingled. The offering hall is 1 bay across and 3 deep, single-storeyed, gabled at the rear, joining the worship hall, shingled. The worship hall is 3 bays across and 2 deep, single-storeyed, gabled, with a curved gable over the front eaves, shingled. The date is 1663 and the period field reads middle Edo |
| Owner | Otonashi Jinja |
| Public Access | Standing in the precinct; exteriors can be seen on a visit, while interiors follow the shrine's own arrangements |
References
- Cultural Heritage Online: the main hall
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/db/heritages/detail/147138
- Cultural Heritage Online: the offering hall and worship hall
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/db/heritages/detail/202369
- Susaki City: tourism
- https://www.city.susaki.lg.jp/
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/
Last verified: 2026.09.06
Cultural Treasures in the Same Area
All are within walking distance in the same area, so we recommend visiting them together.
- Narunashi Shrine Main shrine 0.00 km
- Narunashi Shrine Heiden (offering hall), worship hall 0.01 km