A small dance pavilion before the Wakamiyasha
The Imamiya Shrine Wakamiyasha Worship Hall (今宮神社若宮社拝殿, Imamiya Jinja Wakamiyasha Haiden) is a worship hall of 1694 standing directly east of the main hall of the auxiliary shrine Wakamiyasha at Imamiya Shrine in Murasakino, Kita Ward, Kyoto City, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/03/27. It is a small one-bay building with its ridge running north to south.
According to the shrine, Keishoin had Wakamiyasha moved during the Genroku rebuilding and built a worship hall for it at the same time. The Imamiya Shrine Wakamiyasha Worship Hall went up in the same year as the main hall, gate and fence, completing the Wakamiyasha enclosure in its Genroku form.
The main worship hall in miniature
It is one bay square under a hip-and-gable copper roof, with a veranda all round and a building area of 8.8 square metres. Four posts are ringed by horizontal beams, boat-shaped brackets sit on top, and a coffered ceiling spans the interior. The eaves have a single layer of widely spaced rafters with lath, and the gables are filled with crossed-batten lattice.
It is an open maidono, or dance pavilion, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs points out that it follows the same form as the shrine's main worship hall. That hall also dates from 1694 but is three bays square. Together the large and small pavilions show how the places of worship were laid out in the Genroku revival.
What to look for, and visiting
The Imamiya Shrine Wakamiyasha Worship Hall is open-sided, so you can see the coffered ceiling and lattice gables from around it, though you may not step onto the floor.
Compare it with the main worship hall near the Tower Gate to see the same form repeated at a different scale. A prayer service for children is held at Wakamiyasha on a Day of the Dog each month, when worshippers gather here. Directions are on the Imamiya Shrine page.
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Q&A
- When was the Imamiya Shrine Wakamiyasha Worship Hall built?
- In 1694, the same year as the Wakamiyasha main hall.
- What type of building is the Imamiya Shrine Wakamiyasha Worship Hall?
- An open dance-pavilion type of worship hall, one bay square with a hip-and-gable copper roof.
- How does the Imamiya Shrine Wakamiyasha Worship Hall relate to the main worship hall?
- Both date from 1694 and share the open dance-pavilion form; the Wakamiyasha hall is a small version.
- Can I go inside the Imamiya Shrine Wakamiyasha Worship Hall?
- You may not step onto the floor, but it is open-sided and the ceiling is visible from outside.
- What should I look for at the Imamiya Shrine Wakamiyasha Worship Hall?
- The coffered ceiling, the beams ringing the four posts, and the lattice gables.
Basic Information
| Name | Imamiya Shrine Wakamiyasha Worship Hall (今宮神社若宮社拝殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 21 Imamiyacho, Murasakino, Kita-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 26-539 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/03/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, one bay square, hip-and-gable copper-sheet roof; building area 8.8 square metres |
| Owner | Imamiya Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Can be seen freely from the grounds (no charge); visitors may not step onto the floor |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Imamiya Shrine Wakamiyasha Worship Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012191
- 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
