Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate
The Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate (雙栗神社本殿門, Saguri Jinja Honden-mon) is a small late Edo-period gate, built between about 1751 and 1830, that stands between the worship hall and the main hall of Saguri Shrine in Kumiyama, Kuse District, Kyoto Prefecture; it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 25 April 2014.
It is one bay wide and one bay deep, 2.4 metres across the front, with a gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) whose gable end faces the approach (Tsumairi), covered in tiles. Two rows of posts frame a single doorway, and from each side the tamagaki fence runs back to enclose the main hall.
Behind the gate stands the main hall, a three-bay Nagare-zukuri building of the Muromachi period thought to date from around 1494, whose polychrome was renewed during repairs in 1980 and 1981. The Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate guards that hall head-on, and with the tamagaki fence it forms the entrance to the sanctuary precinct.
Why the Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate Is Registered
The posts of the Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate taper at the top in a form called chimaki, and their corners are finished differently front and back. The front pair carries the notched kichōmen chamfer; the rear pair has only a small plain chamfer. A pair of lattice doors hangs in the front opening.
The brackets are of the demitsudo type. The curved tie beams (Kōryō) and the carved beam ends (kibana) are painted in rich polychrome, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the gate as lavishly decorated. That is a great deal of ornament for an opening only 2.4 metres wide, and it is what gives this gate its character.
It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country, on the same day as the worship hall, the tamagaki fence and the stone torii.
What to Look For
The Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate lies straight ahead of the central passage through the worship hall. Seen from the front, the notched corners of the front posts are easy to pick out; compare them with the plainer rear pair.
Then look up at the paint on the tie beams and beam ends. With the brightly coloured main hall behind it, the gate seems to set the decorative key before the hall itself comes into view.
Beyond the lattice doors lies the fenced precinct of the main hall, which visitors cannot enter.
Visiting the Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate
The gate stands outdoors and is viewed from the worship hall side. The painted beams and beam ends sit high on the front, so step back a little and look up to take in the whole composition. No official guidance from the shrine on photography could be found, so take pictures with consideration for anyone who has come to pray.
Directions to the shrine and general visiting information are gathered on the Saguri Shrine page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate within the shrine grounds?
- It stands between the worship hall and the main hall, directly in line with the central passage of the worship hall. The tamagaki fence runs from both sides of the gate around the main hall.
- When was the Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate built?
- The national database dates it to the late Edo period, between about 1751 and 1830. It was registered on 25 April 2014.
- What should I look for at the Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate?
- The polychrome tie beams and carved beam ends, the demitsudo brackets, and the tapered posts, finished with a notched chamfer at the front and a plain one at the back. All of it fits into a gate 2.4 metres wide.
- Can I walk through the Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate to the main hall?
- No. Beyond the gate is the fenced sacred precinct of the main hall, so the gate is viewed from outside.
- What do chimaki and kichōmen mean on the Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate?
- Chimaki is the tapering of a post at its top; kichōmen is a chamfer with a notch cut into each corner. At the Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate the front posts have the kichōmen finish and the rear posts a plain small chamfer.
Basic Information
| Name | Saguri Shrine Main Hall Gate (雙栗神社本殿門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 55 Sayama Saguri, Kumiyama-cho, Kuse District, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/4/25 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | 1 by 1 bay; 2.4 metres wide at the front (single-storey timber, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Saguri Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable freely (no admission fee to the grounds). The area inside the gate is not open |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 雙栗神社本殿門
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009998
- Cultural Heritage Online: 雙栗神社本殿門
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/241765
- Kumiyama Town, Saguri Shrine (Japanese)
- https://www.town.kumiyama.lg.jp/0000000333.html
- Kyoto Prefecture Tourism Federation, Saguri Shrine (Japanese)
- https://www.kyoto-kankou.or.jp/info_search/382
- Association of Shinto Shrines, Saguri Shrine (Japanese)
- https://www.jinjahoncho.or.jp/sys/11076
Last verified: 2026.09.25
