Izumo Daijingu Shrine Kurodayu Auxiliary Shrine

What the Kurodayu Shrine Is

The Izumo Daijingu Shrine Kurodayu Auxiliary Shrine (出雲大神宮摂社黒太夫社, Izumo Daijingū Sessha Kurodayūsha) in Chitose-cho, Kameoka City, Kyoto Prefecture, is the sanctuary of an auxiliary shrine outside the main precinct, built in 1938 and registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on February 4, 2021.

It is a south-facing, one-bay Nagare-zukuri sanctuary of timber, only 5.3 square meters, and the youngest of the twelve registered structures.

The Izumo Daijingu Kurodayu auxiliary shrine lies about 100 meters west of the grounds. The shrine says it honors Sarutahiko, the guide of the gods, and Oyamatsumi, god of mountains, and is traditionally regarded as the shrine of the local parishioners' ancestors.

Why It Was Registered

The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls the Izumo Daijingu Kurodayu auxiliary shrine a fine example of the revivalist shrine building of the prewar years. It is registered as No. 26-0626 under the criterion of serving as a model of form.

In the 1930s carpenters across Japan studied and reproduced the details of much older shrines. This small building shows how well that study could be absorbed.

Classical Details

A veranda with upturned railing ends wraps three sides of the Izumo Daijingu Kurodayu shrine, side screens stand in line with the rear posts, and a low platform (Hama-en) runs beneath the front eaves.

The Agency draws attention to the finish: posts and brackets with broad chamfered edges, and ornamental pieces such as the frog-leg strut (Kaerumata) and the carved eave brackets (Tabasami), all showing a sure command of classical design.

The Agency's records disagree on the roof, copper in the structure field and sheet iron in the description.

Visiting the Kurodayu Shrine

The Izumo Daijingu Kurodayu auxiliary shrine stands outside the grounds, a short walk west of the approach. The shrine asks worshippers to visit it first, before the main hall.

The interior is not open. At 5.3 square meters it is small enough to study closely from the front and sides: look for the wide chamfers on the posts and the carved struts. Access is covered on the Izumo Daijingu Shrine page.