A kagura hall joined to the main sanctuary
The Imamiya Shrine Kagura Hall (今宮神社神楽殿, Imamiya Jinja Kaguraden) is a hall for sacred dance built in 1839 and altered in the late Meiji period, standing east of the main hall at Imamiya Shrine in Murasakino, Kita Ward, Kyoto City, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/03/27. It runs north to south and is linked to the main hall by a covered passage.
The fire of 1896 took the main sanctuary, but the Imamiya Shrine Kagura Hall kept its 1839 fabric and was reworked in the late Meiji period into the form seen today. Kagura, the music and dance offered to the gods, is performed for the deities on the evening of October 8, the eve of the annual festival.
A sanctum to the north, a dance room to the south
The core of the building is a kagura room 6.9 metres by 3.9 metres. Its northern room serves as a small sanctum, and one hip-and-gable copper roof covers the whole, so that shrine and stage share a single building. The building area is 53 square metres.
The kagura room is open in character, with boat-shaped brackets on its posts. The southern room has a coffered ceiling and a veranda runs round the outside. The Agency for Cultural Affairs sums it up as a kagura hall of delicate design.
Joining the hall to the main sanctuary by a passage turns into architecture the idea that the dance is offered directly to the deity. Seen from the east side of the grounds, its roof runs on into that of the main hall.
What to look for, and visiting
The Imamiya Shrine Kagura Hall adjoins the inner sanctuary and cannot be entered. Look at it from the east side of the grounds, near the storehouses, where the row of brackets under the eaves and the roof stretching toward the main hall are clear.
On the evening of October 8 the hall is in use for the kagura offering, so watch from a respectful distance. Directions and visiting conditions for the grounds are on the Imamiya Shrine page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kyoto
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Imamiya Shrine Kagura Hall
- [ Kinkakuji Fushimi Inari & Kimono Rental ]
Q&A
- When was the Imamiya Shrine Kagura Hall built?
- In 1839, with alterations in the late Meiji period.
- Where is the Imamiya Shrine Kagura Hall?
- East of the main hall, joined to it by a covered passage.
- How is the Imamiya Shrine Kagura Hall laid out?
- A kagura room to the south and a small sanctum to the north under a single hip-and-gable copper roof.
- When is kagura performed at the Imamiya Shrine Kagura Hall?
- On the evening of October 8, the eve of the annual festival.
- Can I go inside the Imamiya Shrine Kagura Hall?
- No. The exterior can be seen from the east side of the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Imamiya Shrine Kagura Hall (今宮神社神楽殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 21 Imamiyacho, Murasakino, Kita-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 26-534 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/03/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, hip-and-gable copper-sheet roof; kagura room 6.9 metres by 3.9 metres; building area 53 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 Kagura Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012186
- 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
