A Worship Hall Carved by Nakai Gonji
The Ura Shrine Worship Hall and Central Hall (宇良神社拝殿及び中殿) is a split-passage worship hall decorated by Nakai Gonji of 1884, altered in the mid-Showa period in Honjohama, Ine Town, Yosa District, Kyoto Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 25, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
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The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a copper roof and a building area of 93 square metres; registration number 26-0458.
A Split Worship Hall with a Dragon in Clouds
Ura Shrine, also called Urashima Shrine, keeps a Muromachi-period handscroll on the legend of Urashima, which ends with the founding of the shrine and its festival, itself designated by the state (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The worship hall and central hall, of 1884, stand in front of the main hall, with the central hall projecting behind (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Three wide bays by two, the hall is open on all sides and ringed by a balustrade.
It is a split worship hall with a passage through the middle, its sides set with closely spaced projecting brackets, and its key points carved with waves and plants and animals on the panels and a dragon in clouds over the central bay (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency calls it a masterpiece by the carver Nakai Gonji of the Meiji period.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the dragon in clouds over the central bay and the carved waves, plants and animals of the panels (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Ura Shrine (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting hours was found. The main hall and the worship and central hall are introduced together on the Ura Shrine page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1884 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What form does it take?
- A split hall with a central passage.
- Who carved it?
- Nakai Gonji.
- Where is the central hall?
- Projecting behind the worship hall.
- When was the Ura Shrine Worship Hall and Central Hall registered?
- On April 25, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Ura Shrine Worship Hall and Central Hall (宇良神社拝殿及び中殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 191 Honjohama, Ine Town, Yosa District, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/04/25 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, copper roof, 93 m² |
| Owner | Ura Shrine |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Ura Shrine Worship Hall and Central Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010002
- Urashima Myojin Engi handscroll (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/201/2391
Last verified: 2026.10.26
