Ujigami Shrine

The Oldest Surviving Shrine Buildings, Facing the Byodoin

The Ujigami Shrine (宇治上神社, Ujigami Jinja) stands on the east bank of the Uji River opposite the Byodoin in Uji-Yamada, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, whose main hall and worship hall were designated National Treasures in 1952, while its Kasuga subsidiary shrine is an Important Cultural Property.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that its origins are unknown, but after the Phoenix Hall of the Byodoin was completed it was revered as the temple's guardian shrine, and its buildings were improved with the temple's support. Nobles visiting Uji also held it in high regard.

According to the Agency's World Heritage description, it is one of the components of the World Heritage property Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

The Shrine Buildings

The Agency describes the main hall as an unusual form in which three one-bay nagare-style inner shrines stand side by side under a single nagare-style enclosing roof, the oldest surviving shrine main hall. Kyoto Prefecture notes that the side shrines are large and the central one small.

The worship hall is a long building on a lower level in front of the main hall, residential in character and the oldest surviving worship hall. The Kasuga subsidiary shrine is a small one-bay nagare-style hall roofed in cypress bark.

The World Heritage description notes that the shrine faces the Byodoin across the river, with extensive forest behind the main hall.

Care and Repair

According to the World Heritage description, local people have revered the shrine and maintained its buildings since the seventeenth century. The worship hall was dismantled and repaired in 1908 and the main hall in 1910, and both roofs have since been re-covered twice.

Kyoto Prefecture notes that the worship hall uses cypress felled in the early Kamakura period and the main hall timber felled in the late Heian period.

Visiting Ujigami Shrine

No official information on visiting hours or conditions could be found. It is a working shrine, so follow the shrine's own guidance when visiting.

Kyoto Prefecture directs tourism enquiries to the individual temples and shrines.