A Gate Built for an Enthronement
The great torii that spans the approach to Heian Jingu was raised in 1928 to mark the enthronement of Emperor Showa. It was designed by Sakatani Ryonoshin, an engineer of Kyoto Prefecture, and put up by the Heian Kosha, the lay association that has long supported the shrine.
The gate is built of reinforced concrete with a partial steel frame, an unusual choice for a torii and a sign of its ambition. It follows the myojin form, in which the top lintel curves gently upward at both ends. It measures about 18 meters wide and roughly 24 meters tall, though the shrine itself cites 24.4 meters. At the time it was the largest torii in the country.
Scale, Proportion, and Landmark Status
The torii was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 3 September 2002. What sets it apart is proportion as much as size. Its columns are notably thick for their height, giving the gate a heavy, grounded presence rather than a slender one.
Standing over Jingu-michi, the wide avenue that leads north to the shrine, the gate has become a fixture of the Okazaki district, a cultural quarter dotted with museums, the concert hall, and the zoo. For many Kyoto residents it reads first as a neighborhood landmark and only second as a shrine gate.
Seeing It in Person
Unlike most structures in this group, the great torii stands out in the open and can be seen freely at any hour. Walk up to the base and the sheer girth of the columns becomes clear, far broader than a wooden torii of similar height would allow.
The gate frames the roofline of the Otenmon in the distance to the north, so it repays a pause on the avenue before you continue toward the shrine. In the evening the concrete catches the last light and the vermilion deepens.
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Q&A
- How tall is the great torii?
- About 24 meters, with the shrine citing 24.4 meters, and roughly 18 meters wide. When it went up in 1928 it was the largest torii in Japan.
- What is it made of?
- Reinforced concrete with a partial steel frame, rather than timber. This let it reach its exceptional scale.
- Why was it built?
- To commemorate the enthronement of Emperor Showa. It was raised by the Heian Kosha lay association and designed by the prefectural engineer Sakatani Ryonoshin.
- Where is it and can I see it freely?
- It spans Jingu-michi avenue in the Okazaki district, north of the shrine's approach, and stands in open public space that can be viewed at any time.
Basic Information
| Name | Heian Jingu Great Torii (o-torii) |
|---|---|
| Location | Okazaki Shosho-ji-cho and Okazaki Enshoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Registered | 21 August 2002 (gazetted 3 September 2002) |
| Registration no. | 26-0129 |
| Count | 1 structure |
| Structure | Reinforced concrete with partial steel frame; height 24 m, width 18 m |
| Date | 1928 |
| Owner | Heian Jingu (religious corporation) |
| Access | Freely visible in open public space over Jingu-michi avenue |
References
- 国指定文化財等データベース（文化庁）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002939
- 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