Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence
The Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence (雙栗神社玉垣, Saguri Jinja Tamagaki) is a late Edo-period timber fence, built between about 1751 and 1830, that encloses 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.
A tamagaki is the fence that rings a shrine's main sanctuary and marks off its sacred ground. This one begins on either side of the main hall gate, then turns at right angles to run back along both flanks of the hall. Each side counts 3 bays across the front and 8 bays down the flank, and the whole run measures 44 metres under a tiled coping.
Inside stands the main hall, a three-bay building in the Nagare-zukuri style thought to date from around 1494, in the Muromachi period. The fence links that hall to the main hall gate in front of it, so a Muromachi sanctuary is framed by an Edo-period enclosure.
Why the Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence Is Registered
What sets the Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence apart is that its design changes partway along. The front 5 bays are an open screen of square-section vertical bars, a style called kaku-renji. The rear 6 bays switch to a row of boards cut to a point at the top. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out this pairing of two forms as a deliberate way of giving the enclosure variety.
The arithmetic is tidy: on each side, 3 front bays plus 8 flank bays make 11, divided 5 and 6 between the two designs.
The fence was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country, on the same day as the worship hall, the main hall gate and the stone torii.
The record also shows change over time. The national database notes an alteration in 1961, and according to the Kyoto Prefecture tourism federation the fence was restored to its late Edo appearance in 2019. The description written at registration therefore predates that restoration.
What to Look For
On each flank of the Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence, look for the point where the lattice gives way to pointed boards. The lattice lets the eye slip through toward the hall; the pointed boards set up a sawtooth rhythm along the top edge.
Notice, too, how the fence meets the main hall gate at the front. Gate and fence together close the ring around the sanctuary.
The ground inside is the sacred precinct of the main hall and is not open to visitors, so everything here is seen from outside the fence.
Visiting the Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence
The fence is viewed from the open grounds outside it. The design changes from lattice at the front to pointed boards along the flanks, so compare the two as far as the grounds allow. 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.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kyoto
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence
- [ Kinkakuji Fushimi Inari & Kimono Rental ]
Q&A
- What is the Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence?
- It is the timber, tile-capped fence that encloses the main hall of Saguri Shrine, 44 metres in total length. The front 5 bays are a square-bar lattice and the rear 6 bays are pointed boards, combining two designs in one enclosure.
- How old is the Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence?
- The national database dates it to the late Edo period, between about 1751 and 1830, and records an alteration in 1961. The Kyoto Prefecture tourism federation reports that it was restored to its late Edo appearance in 2019.
- Can visitors go inside the Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence?
- No. The area inside the fence is the sacred precinct of the main hall, so the fence and the hall are seen from outside.
- Where does the design of the Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence change?
- On each side, 11 bays in all, the 5 bays taking in the 3-bay front and the first 2 bays of the flank are square-bar lattice, and the rear 6 bays of the flank are pointed boards. The switch happens partway down each flank.
- Why is the Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs highlights its use of two see-through fence designs, square-bar lattice and pointed boards, to give the enclosure variety.
Basic Information
| Name | Saguri Shrine Tamagaki Fence (雙栗神社玉垣) |
|---|---|
| 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 | 44 metres in total length (timber, tiled coping) |
| Owner | Saguri Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Viewable freely from outside (no admission fee to the grounds). The area inside the fence is not open |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 雙栗神社玉垣
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009999
- Cultural Heritage Online: 雙栗神社玉垣
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/271376
- Kyoto Prefecture Tourism Federation, Saguri Shrine (Japanese)
- https://www.kyoto-kankou.or.jp/info_search/382
- Kumiyama Town, Saguri Shrine (Japanese)
- https://www.town.kumiyama.lg.jp/0000000333.html
- Association of Shinto Shrines, Saguri Shrine (Japanese)
- https://www.jinjahoncho.or.jp/sys/11076
Last verified: 2026.09.25
