A shrine on the rise behind Wakamiyasha
The Imamiya Shrine Jishusha Main Hall (今宮神社地主社本殿, Imamiya Jinja Jishusha Honden) is a sanctuary of 1842 facing south on a slight rise behind Wakamiyasha on the west side of Imamiya Shrine in Murasakino, Kita Ward, Kyoto City, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/03/27. A jishusha is a shrine to the deity who held the land before the shrine arrived.
Its worship pavilion and fence, of the same year, stand in front. The Imamiya Shrine Jishusha Main Hall has a building area of just 3.7 square metres, but the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles it out for the individuality of its two-bay sanctum and the bracketing under its veranda.
Two bays and triple-stepped brackets
It is a two-bay nagare-zukuri shrine, the type with a long front roof that sweeps down over the steps, roofed in copper sheet. Shrine sanctums are usually one or three bays wide, so an even two-bay front is unusual.
A veranda with upturned railings runs round the hall, carried on triple-stepped brackets set diagonally at the corners, the kind of bracketing found under the balcony of a gate tower, here placed beneath a tiny shrine.
The canopy covers the whole front as a single bay. A tie beam shaped like a rainbow beam spans the canopy posts and carries two kaerumata struts, and curved shrimp-shaped beams link the canopy to the sanctum. Detail is piled into every part of a very small building.
What to look for, and visiting
The Imamiya Shrine Jishusha Main Hall stands behind its worship pavilion and fence and cannot be entered; prayers are offered at the pavilion. Because the shrine sits on a rise, you can look up from beside the pavilion at the triple-stepped brackets under the veranda.
The two struts and the shrimp-shaped beams of the canopy show best from slightly to one side. Directions are on the Imamiya Shrine page.
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Q&A
- When was the Imamiya Shrine Jishusha Main Hall built?
- In 1842, together with its worship pavilion and fence.
- Where is the Imamiya Shrine Jishusha Main Hall?
- On a slight rise behind Wakamiyasha on the west side of the grounds, facing south.
- What is unusual about the Imamiya Shrine Jishusha Main Hall?
- Its two-bay sanctum, and the triple-stepped brackets set diagonally at the corners to carry the veranda.
- Can I go inside the Imamiya Shrine Jishusha Main Hall?
- No. Prayers are offered at the worship pavilion in front.
- What should I look for on the canopy of the Imamiya Shrine Jishusha Main Hall?
- The two kaerumata on the rainbow-shaped tie beam and the shrimp-shaped beams linking canopy and sanctum.
Basic Information
| Name | Imamiya Shrine Jishusha Main Hall (今宮神社地主社本殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 21 Imamiyacho, Murasakino, Kita-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 26-541 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/03/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, two-bay nagare-zukuri shrine with copper-sheet roof; building area 3.7 square metres |
| Owner | Imamiya Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior can be seen freely from the grounds (no charge); interior not open |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Imamiya Shrine Jishusha Main Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012193
- Agency for Cultural Affairs — Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Structures), report of 2017/11/17 (Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/r1392281_21.pdf
- Kyoto City official travel guide — Imamiya Shrine (Japanese)
- https://ja.kyoto.travel/tourism/single01.php?category_id=7&tourism_id=496
Last verified: 2026.10.01
