Rikyu Hachimangu Shrine Temizusho

A Purification Pavilion Beside the Middle Gate

Rikyu Hachimangu Shrine Temizusho (離宮八幡宮手水所, Rikyū Hachimangū Temizusho) is a purification pavilion of about 1928 at Rikyu Hachimangu in Oyamazaki, Kyoto Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2013.

Worshippers rinse their hands and mouth at a pavilion like this before approaching the kami; most shrines call it a temizuya or chozuya, but here it is a temizusho. It is a small timber structure with a tiled roof covering 3.1 square metres, standing southwest of the middle gate with its ridge running north to south.

It is the only one of the six registered buildings roofed in tile. The other five all have copper-plate roofs.

Why It Was Registered

The Rikyu Hachimangu Shrine Temizusho was registered as a model of form. The roof is a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri of Sangawara-buki pantiles, carried without any walls by posts and beams alone.

The framing is easy to follow. Two round posts stand in the middle, each braced by secondary posts front and back. A beam called an obari spans the tops of the posts and carries the purlins that hold the roof. In each gable a plank Kaerumata supports the ridge beam.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the Gegyo gable pendants and the kaerumata share their design with the other buildings on the grounds and adds that the pavilion helps give the precinct its refined overall look. It may be a minor outbuilding, but it was designed with the same care as the gate and the halls.

What to Look For

Notice the difference between the posts. The two round posts do the main work of carrying the roof, and the secondary posts stand apart to brace them, so the roles are written into the shapes.

Look up into the gables, where the plank bracket takes the ridge and the pendant hangs in front. Then look for the same shapes on the middle gate and the worship hall.

Among the copper roofs, this tiled gable stands out. Pause before the middle gate and compare the two.

Visiting the Purification Pavilion

The Rikyu Hachimangu Shrine Temizusho stands southwest of the middle gate and can be seen freely from within the grounds. With posts and beams and no walls, a single walk round shows every part of the frame.

No published restriction on photographing the exterior could be found, but hold off during ceremonies and while others are praying, and follow any signs on site. Directions and general visiting conditions are covered on the Rikyu Hachimangu page.