Three structures that make the way to the Ekijinja
The Imamiya Shrine Ekijinja Passage Hall, Gate and Corridors (今宮神社疫神社渡廊・門・廻廊) is a group of around 1908 in front of the Ekijinja Main Hall at Imamiya Shrine in Murasakino, Kita Ward, Kyoto City, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/03/27. It comprises a small gate where worshippers pray, a covered passage hall leading back to the sanctuary, and corridors on either side.
Like the Ekijinja hall itself, the group was designed by Kameoka Suekichi, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. The offering hall group in front of the main sanctuary, built by Ito Heizaemon in 1902, follows the same plan, and setting the two side by side shows how differently two designers handled it. The building area is 36 square metres.
A bowed passage and a cusped gate
A gabled passage hall runs forward from the Ekijinja Main Hall, and at its front opens a hira-karamon, a gate whose eave alone is shaped into the rising curve of a karahafu. Corridors extend from the gate on both sides.
The longitudinal beams of the passage hall are given a camber so that the whole roof bows upward along its length, a curve not often found in a building of this kind. The front bays of the corridors carry transoms of clustered diamond lattice.
The Agency sees Kameoka's delicate, elegant manner in the kaerumata of the passage hall and gate, and in the gate's openwork transom. In the Imamiya Shrine Ekijinja Passage Hall, Gate and Corridors, that ornament comes down to eye level.
What to look for, and visiting
Anyone may walk up to the gate to pray at the Ekijinja. Standing there, the openwork transom and kaerumata are close to eye height. The passage hall and corridors cannot be entered.
The bow of the passage roof shows best from a slight angle rather than straight on. From the main worship pavilion next door, turn west to compare the two places of prayer at a glance. Directions are on the Imamiya Shrine page.
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Q&A
- When were the Imamiya Shrine Ekijinja Passage Hall, Gate and Corridors built?
- Around 1908, at the same time as the Ekijinja Main Hall.
- Who designed the Imamiya Shrine Ekijinja Passage Hall, Gate and Corridors?
- Kameoka Suekichi, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
- What kind of gate is in the Imamiya Shrine Ekijinja Passage Hall, Gate and Corridors?
- A hira-karamon, with its eave shaped into a cusped curve and decorated with an openwork transom and kaerumata.
- Where can I see the Imamiya Shrine Ekijinja Passage Hall, Gate and Corridors?
- You can walk up to the gate, which is where prayers to the Ekijinja are offered.
- What is unusual about the Imamiya Shrine Ekijinja Passage Hall?
- Its beams are cambered so that the whole passage bows upward along its length.
Basic Information
| Name | Imamiya Shrine Ekijinja Passage Hall, Gate and Corridors (今宮神社疫神社渡廊・門・廻廊) |
|---|---|
| Location | 21 Imamiyacho, Murasakino, Kita-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 26-533 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/03/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, copper-sheet roofs; building area 36 square metres |
| Owner | Imamiya Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | The gate can be approached freely from the grounds (no charge); passage hall and corridors not open inside |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Imamiya Shrine Ekijinja Passage Hall, Gate and Corridors
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012185
- 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
