A sanctuary and pavilion joined as one
The Imamiya Shrine Taishogunsha Main Hall and Worship Pavilion (今宮神社大将軍社本殿・拝所) is a shrine of about 1695 facing east between Hachimansha and Hiyoshisha on the west side of Imamiya Shrine in Murasakino, Kita Ward, Kyoto City, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/03/27. A tiny sanctuary and the worship pavilion in front of it form a single structure.
Taishogun is a deity of the directions, enshrined at several points around Kyoto as a guardian of the old capital. At Imamiya the Taishogunsha festival is held on July 23 and its fire festival on November 23.
A shelf and three steps
The sanctuary is a one-bay nagare misedana-zukuri, set on a low shelf-like base, and a one-bay gabled pavilion entered from its gable end is joined to its front. The building area is 1.5 square metres.
What the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls distinctive is the junction. A shelf is built across the back of the pavilion, and between that shelf and the sanctuary runs a flight of three wooden steps. The stair from pavilion to sanctuary reproduces, in miniature, the climb of an approach to a shrine.
The pavilion is open-sided, and moulded brackets project from the tops of its posts, another feature the Agency singles out in the Imamiya Shrine Taishogunsha Main Hall and Worship Pavilion.
What to look for, and visiting
You can walk up to the Imamiya Shrine Taishogunsha Main Hall and Worship Pavilion and pray at the pavilion. Look into the open pavilion to see the shelf and the three steps behind it.
The moulded brackets at the post tops show their profile best from the side. Rites are held on the festival days in July and November. Directions are on the Imamiya Shrine page.
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Q&A
- When was the Imamiya Shrine Taishogunsha Main Hall and Worship Pavilion built?
- Around 1695.
- What is unusual about the Imamiya Shrine Taishogunsha Main Hall and Worship Pavilion?
- A shelf at the back of the pavilion is linked to the sanctuary by three wooden steps.
- When are the festivals of the Imamiya Shrine Taishogunsha?
- The festival is on July 23 and the fire festival on November 23.
- Can I pray at the Imamiya Shrine Taishogunsha Main Hall and Worship Pavilion?
- Yes, at the front of the worship pavilion.
- Where is the Imamiya Shrine Taishogunsha Main Hall and Worship Pavilion?
- On the west side of the grounds between Hachimansha and Hiyoshisha, facing east.
Basic Information
| Name | Imamiya Shrine Taishogunsha Main Hall and Worship Pavilion (今宮神社大将軍社本殿・拝所) |
|---|---|
| Location | 21 Imamiyacho, Murasakino, Kita-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 26-547 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/03/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, copper-sheet roofs; one-bay nagare misedana-zukuri sanctuary with a one-bay gabled worship pavilion; building area 1.5 square metres |
| Owner | Imamiya Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | The front of the pavilion can be approached freely in the grounds (no charge) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Imamiya Shrine Taishogunsha Main Hall and Worship Pavilion
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012199
- 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
