A Renaissance-Style Museum in Ise
The Jingu Chokokan Museum (神宮徴古館) is a single-storey brick museum of 1909 on Kurata Hill in Kandakushimotocho, Ise City, Mie Prefecture, which in 1998 was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a copper roof and a building area of 1611 square metres, owned by the Jingu religious corporation and registered as a model of design.
The Agency explains that it was built to collect and display historical materials of the shrine, designed by Katayama Tokuma and Takayama Kojiro.
Structure
According to the Agency, it is a dignified brick building faced in stone, with a central hall, a guest room behind it, and wings on either side linked by corridors.
The Jingu museums describe a single-storey Renaissance-style building on a U-shaped plan, faced in granite-effect terracotta blocks of Bizen ware, with a domed central roof. The shield-shaped forecourt was designed by Ichikawa Yukio, an engineer of the Imperial Household Ministry.
What to Look For
The Agency notes that it was heavily rebuilt after war damage, but its outer walls survive. The Jingu museums suggest that a grand modern museum in the provincial town of Ujiyamada must have astonished people when it opened on 29 September 1909.
Look at the front composition of terracotta walls, central dome and shield-shaped forecourt.
Visiting the Jingu Chokokan Museum
The Jingu museums are open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed on Thursdays.
The story of the Shinenkai museums and visitor information are on the Jingu Chokokan and Nogyokan group page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Jingu Chokokan Museum
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Jingu Chokokan built?
- In 1909; it opened on 29 September that year.
- Who designed it?
- Katayama Tokuma and Takayama Kojiro.
- What does it look like?
- A Renaissance-style U-shaped building with terracotta walls and a central dome.
- Was it damaged in the war?
- Yes; it was heavily rebuilt, but the outer walls survive.
- When is it closed?
- On Thursdays and from 29 to 31 December.
Basic Information
| Name | Jingu Chokokan Museum (神宮徴古館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1754-1 Kandakushimotocho, Ise City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/10/9 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey brick, copper roof, building area 1611 square metres |
| Owner | Jingu (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Open as a museum |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Jingu Chokokan (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000830
- Cultural Heritage Online: Jingu Chokokan (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/185560
- Jingu Museums: History (Japanese)
- https://museum.isejingu.or.jp/museum/history.html
Last verified: 2026.09.28
