A former mikoshi house turned ritual store
The Imamiya Shrine Ritual Implement Storehouse (今宮神社祭器庫, Imamiya Jinja Saikiko) is a late Edo building (1751 to 1830), moved in the late Taisho period, in the north-east corner of Imamiya Shrine in Murasakino, Kita Ward, Kyoto City, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/03/27. It holds equipment used in the shrine's rites and festivals.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Imamiya Shrine Ritual Implement Storehouse was once the shrine's portable shrine storehouse. When the Tower Gate was built in 1926 it was moved here and given its present use, and the mikoshi went to the large new storehouse north of the East Gate.
A big strut in the gable
The building runs north to south, three bays by three, with a gabled pantile roof and a building area of 34 square metres. The central bay of the front is slightly wider than the others and holds double doors with vertical slats in their middle panels, a reminder of the days when mikoshi were carried in and out.
The walls show their posts and tie beams on the outside. In the front gable a large kaerumata strut sits on the beam, with a rainbow-shaped beam and an inverted V-strut above. The Agency's report picks out this strut as the building's most striking feature.
What to look for, and visiting
The Imamiya Shrine Ritual Implement Storehouse stands in the north-east corner and is not open inside. Look up at the gable from in front of the building to see the big strut.
Compare it with the portable shrine storehouse north of the East Gate to trace two generations of mikoshi storage, Edo timber and Taisho fireproof masonry. Directions are on the Imamiya Shrine page.
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Q&A
- When was the Imamiya Shrine Ritual Implement Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period (1751 to 1830); it was moved in the late Taisho period.
- What was the Imamiya Shrine Ritual Implement Storehouse originally?
- The portable shrine storehouse. It was moved and converted when the Tower Gate was built in 1926.
- What should I look for on the Imamiya Shrine Ritual Implement Storehouse?
- The large kaerumata in the front gable, with the beam and V-strut above it.
- Can I go inside the Imamiya Shrine Ritual Implement Storehouse?
- No. The exterior can be seen in the north-east corner of the grounds.
- How big is the Imamiya Shrine Ritual Implement Storehouse?
- Three bays by three, with a building area of 34 square metres.
Basic Information
| Name | Imamiya Shrine Ritual Implement Storehouse (今宮神社祭器庫) |
|---|---|
| Location | 21 Imamiyacho, Murasakino, Kita-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 26-550 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/03/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, gabled pantile roof; building area 34 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 Ritual Implement Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012202
- 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
