An Older Storehouse, Moved Into Place
The East Saikiko is a two-story plaster storehouse for ritual vessels, standing to the west of the west outer corridor. Unlike most buildings in this group, it does not date from 1940 alone: it was first built in 1907, and during the 1940 campaign it was moved from its original position to where it stands today.
Over the front entrance a gabled kirizuma roof is set in tile, while the main hipped roof is carried on a timber truss. Its exterior is marked by lower walls clad in boarding, an unusual finish that gives the storehouse a distinctive face among the shrine's buildings.
A Trace of an Earlier Phase
The East Saikiko matters partly because it carries an earlier date than its neighbors. Where the 1940 campaign built almost everything new, this storehouse was already standing in 1907 and was carefully relocated rather than replaced, a decision that preserved a working building through the shrine's expansion.
It was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on 3 September 2002. The board-clad base and the relocation history make it the more individual of the two ritual storehouses, its western twin having been built to follow it in 1940.
What to Look For
The boarded lower walls are the detail to notice. Rather than plastering the base as the West Saikiko does, the East Saikiko wraps it in timber, a practical, hardwearing treatment that also reads as older in feel.
As a working storehouse it is not open, so it is best seen from outside. Knowing that it predates the surrounding 1940 buildings, and was shifted into place among them, adds a small layer of history to an otherwise plain service building.
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Q&A
- When was the East Saikiko built?
- It was first built in 1907 and moved to its present position during the 1940 campaign, so it is older than most buildings in this group.
- How does it differ from the West Saikiko?
- Its lower exterior walls are clad in boarding rather than plastered, and it carries the earlier 1907 date; the western storehouse was built later to follow it.
- What is it for?
- It is a saikiko, a storehouse for the vessels and implements used in Shinto ritual.
- Can I go inside?
- No. It is a working storehouse, not open to visitors, but it can be seen from outside within the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Heian Jingu East Saikiko (ritual-vessel storehouse) |
|---|---|
| Location | 97 Okazaki Nishitenno-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Registered | 21 August 2002 (gazetted 3 September 2002) |
| Registration no. | 26-0127 |
| Count | 1 building |
| Structure | Two-story plaster storehouse (dozo), tile roof, floor area 145 m2 |
| Date | 1907; relocated 1940 |
| Owner | Heian Jingu (religious corporation) |
| Access | Working storehouse, not open; viewable from outside within the grounds |
References
- 国指定文化財等データベース（文化庁）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002937
- 平安神宮 社殿・境内案内（公式）
- https://www.heianjingu.or.jp/map/guide/
- 平安神宮 公式サイト
- https://www.heianjingu.or.jp/
Last verified: 2026.07.02