The dressing room behind the Noh stage
The Imamiya Shrine Otabisho Kagami-no-ma Hall (今宮神社御旅所鏡の間, Imamiya Jinja Otabisho Kagami no Ma) is a late Edo building (1830 to 1868) at the west end of the Imamiya Shrine Otabisho in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/03/27. It joins the bridgeway of the Noh stage and serves as the dressing room where performers prepare and wait to enter.
Sources disagree on its date. The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives the late Edo period, while Kyoto City says the Kagami-no-ma, which it calls the shrine office, was rebuilt in 1795 along with the Gondensha and Noh stage after the great fire of 1788. Both accounts are given here.
A window on the bridgeway
The building runs north to south, 10.1 metres by 3.9 metres, with a building area of 40 square metres and a hip-and-gable pantile roof. Its walls show their posts and are finished with an intermediate coat of plaster.
Where the bridgeway meets the east wall there is a small viewing window. Performers could look out at the bridgeway and stage from here to judge their entrance. Inside are three rooms, including a large hall.
The Agency treats the building as part of a single complex with the Noh stage. Thanks to the Imamiya Shrine Otabisho Kagami-no-ma Hall, the Noh stage survives with the performers' whole route intact, not just the platform.
What to look for, and visiting
The Imamiya Shrine Otabisho Kagami-no-ma Hall is not open inside. From outside, find where the bridgeway joins the east wall and the small window beside it.
The Otabisho receives the deities during the Imamiya Festival, when the mikoshi are installed and worshippers come to pay their respects. We found no official notice on access at other times, so outside the festival check with Imamiya Shrine (075-491-0082) before going. Directions are on the Imamiya Shrine page.
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Q&A
- When was the Imamiya Shrine Otabisho Kagami-no-ma Hall built?
- Sources differ: the Agency for Cultural Affairs gives the late Edo period (1830 to 1868), Kyoto City a rebuilding in 1795.
- What is the Imamiya Shrine Otabisho Kagami-no-ma Hall used for?
- It is the dressing room joined to the Noh stage by the bridgeway; Kyoto City also calls it the shrine office.
- What is the window on the Imamiya Shrine Otabisho Kagami-no-ma Hall for?
- It lets performers watch the bridgeway and stage before making their entrance.
- How big is the Imamiya Shrine Otabisho Kagami-no-ma Hall?
- 10.1 metres by 3.9 metres, with a building area of 40 square metres.
- Can I visit the Imamiya Shrine Otabisho Kagami-no-ma Hall?
- The interior is not open. For access to the Otabisho outside the festival, check with Imamiya Shrine.
Basic Information
| Name | Imamiya Shrine Otabisho Kagami-no-ma Hall (今宮神社御旅所鏡の間) |
|---|---|
| Location | 136 Wakamiya-yokocho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 26-561 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/03/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, hip-and-gable pantile roof; 10.1 metres by 3.9 metres; building area 40 square metres |
| Owner | Imamiya Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Open to worshippers during the Imamiya Festival; check with Imamiya Shrine for access at other times; interior not open |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Imamiya Shrine Otabisho Kagami-no-ma Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012213
- 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 — Imamiya Shrine Otabisho (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/tokei/cmsfiles/contents/0000305/305675/a24otabisho.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.01
