A Walkway Linking the Towers to the Corridors
The South Walkway is an L-shaped passage that ties the two great towers of the shrine into the surrounding corridors: the Soryuro to the east outer corridor, and the Byakkoro to the west outer corridor. Built in 1940, it forms the transition between the older 1895 core and the corridors added around it.
It is two bays wide, with the center divided by a wall set with renji lattice. The eaves are of the futanoki type with round rafters, and the roof is laid in hongawara tile. On each side, a doorway opens at the center of the east-west ridge sections.
A Distinct Link in the Enclosure
The South Walkway is deliberately set apart in form and scale from the fences that ring the main sanctuary, so that the eye reads it as a passage rather than a barrier. This distinction is part of its value: it marks where the ceremonial court gives way to the enclosing corridors.
It was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on 3 September 2002. As one of the 1940 additions, it does the connective work that lets the 1895 towers and the newer corridors read as a single, coherent composition around the court.
What to Look For
Follow the walkway from one of the towers and watch how it turns and hands off to the outer corridor. The renji-latticed central wall splits the two-bay width into inner and outer passages, a subtle way of guiding movement through the space.
Look up at the round rafters of the double eaves, a slightly different treatment from the corridors it connects. The walkway is the joint that makes the whole enclosure work, easy to walk past but central to how the precinct holds together.
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Q&A
- What does the South Walkway connect?
- It links the Soryuro tower to the east outer corridor and the Byakkoro tower to the west outer corridor, in an L-shaped plan.
- How is it built?
- It is two bays wide, with a central wall of renji lattice, round rafters in double eaves, and a hongawara tile roof.
- How does it differ from the sanctuary fences?
- Its form and scale are set apart from the fences around the main sanctuary, so it reads clearly as a passage rather than a barrier.
- Can I see it during a visit?
- Yes. It stands within the free grounds, linking the towers to the corridors around the south court.
Basic Information
| Name | Heian Jingu South Walkway (nan-poro) |
|---|---|
| Location | 97 Okazaki Nishitenno-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Registered | 21 August 2002 (gazetted 3 September 2002) |
| Registration no. | 26-0120 |
| Count | 1 building |
| Structure | Single-story timber, tile roof, floor area 288 m2; L-shaped, two bays wide |
| Date | 1940 |
| Owner | Heian Jingu (religious corporation) |
| Access | Within the free grounds, linking the towers to the corridors |
References
- 国指定文化財等データベース（文化庁）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002930
- 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