A Vast Worship Hall of 1953 at Baishoen
The Oomoto Mirokuden (大本みろく殿) is a vast worship hall of steel clad in timber of 1953, altered in 1985 in Hongucho, Ayabe City, Kyoto Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 25, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey building of steel and timber with a partial basement, a copper roof and a building area of 1,950 square metres; registration number 26-0452.
A Hall over Fifty Metres Long
The Oomoto Mirokuden, a worship hall of 1953, stands at Baishoen, the Oomoto centre in Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Over 50 metres long, it is a hip-and-gable hall entered from the gable end and wrapped by a skirt roof, with a hip-and-gable entrance 10 metres wide on the west and layered hip-and-gable roofs over the inner sanctuary projecting behind.
Its main frame is of steel but clad in timber to look like a wooden building, and its vast hall has a coffered ceiling (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Japan Tourism Agency, it is the oldest building at Baishoen, and many of the glass doors on three sides keep their hand-blown panes of 1953.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a structure that would not be easy to reproduce.
What to Look For
Look for the great skirted hip-and-gable hall over 50 metres long and the coffered ceiling of its vast hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Oomoto (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Japan Tourism Agency multilingual commentary, the grounds of Baishoen, Oomoto's centre in Ayabe, are open to the public. Major ceremonies have been held in the Choseiden hall since 1992, but prayers for ancestors and for victims of war and disaster are still offered in the Mirokuden.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1953 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How big is it?
- Over 50 metres long.
- How is it built?
- Steel clad in timber.
- Can I visit?
- The Baishoen grounds are open.
- When was the Oomoto Mirokuden registered?
- On April 25, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Oomoto Mirokuden (大本みろく殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1 Hongucho, Ayabe City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/04/25 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single storey, steel and timber, partial basement, copper roof, 1,950 m² |
| Owner | Oomoto |
| Public Access | The Baishoen grounds are open to the public (Japan Tourism Agency) |
References
- Oomoto Mirokuden (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009996
- Baishoen (Oomoto Ayabe Spiritual Center) (Japan Tourism Agency multilingual commentary database)
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/en/R2-01541.html
Last verified: 2026.10.28