A Guest Hall of the Nuns Who Revived the Ise Rebuilding
The Main Building of the Jingu Saishu Residence (Former Keikoin Guest Hall) (神宮祭主職舎本館（旧慶光院客殿）) is the main building of the residence of the Supreme Priest of Ise Jingu on Oharai-machi street at Ujiurata 1-chome, Ise City, Mie Prefecture, originally the guest hall of Keikoin built in the early 17th century, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on December 26, 2002 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Ise City).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as 23.3 by 18.5 metres, single-storey, with a hip-and-gable roof entered at the gable end, a middle gate and a carriage porch, roofed in tile, cypress bark and copper; owned by Ise Jingu.
Keikoin and the Revival of the Shikinen Sengu
According to Ise Jingu, by the late Muromachi period the funds for the periodic rebuilding (Shikinen Sengu) could no longer be raised, and it lapsed for some 120 years. In the Azuchi-Momoyama period the Keikoin nuns Seijun and Shuyo, known as the rebuilding priests, solicited donations from Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the rebuilding was revived.
According to the Jingu museums, Keikoin built this hall to receive distinguished guests. Tradition dates it to the end of the medieval period, but its style suggests the very start of the early modern era. The temple was abolished in the Meiji period, but the building passed to Ise Jingu and, according to the Ise City Tourist Association, also served as the shrine office.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Former Keikoin Guest Hall was designated an Important Cultural Property in 2002 for its fine design and high historical value. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, with a middle gate at the east end of the south front, it is one of the few surviving examples of the shuden style, and a valuable, authentic guest hall dating back to the early 17th century.
Ise City calls it a precious survival of early Edo-period shoin-style architecture.
What to Look For
The Former Keikoin Guest Hall is large and heavily timbered, showing a great tiled gable to the front, and its rooms form a complete setting for formal audiences (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
According to Ise City, the rooms run in two rows, of 18, 15 and 12 tatami mats from the west, with the raised audience room at the west of the north row. It has staggered shelves, a decorative doorway (chodaigamae) and a further raised room serving as a writing alcove, giving the hall the highest formal rank.
Visiting the Former Keikoin Guest Hall
According to the Ise City Tourist Association, the Former Keikoin Guest Hall can normally be seen only through the gate, and the interior is closed. Part of the main building opens every November 3, with photography restricted. In 2025 the opening ran from 10:30 to 15:00, with admission of 300 yen for adults and 100 yen for school pupils (Jingu museums).
The address is 1-1-29 Ujiurata, Ise City, on Oharai-machi street on the way to the Inner Shrine. Enquiries: Jingu Administration Office, 0596-24-1111.
Q&A
- When was the Former Keikoin Guest Hall built?
- Its style points to the early Edo period, in the early 17th century (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was Keikoin?
- A temple of nuns who worked to revive the lapsed periodic rebuilding of Ise Jingu; it was abolished in the Meiji period (Ise Jingu, Jingu museums).
- What is special about the Former Keikoin Guest Hall?
- It is one of the few surviving shuden-style halls, with a raised audience room, staggered shelves and a decorative doorway (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Ise City).
- Can I visit the Former Keikoin Guest Hall?
- Normally only from the gate; part of the main building opens every November 3 (Ise City Tourist Association).
- When was the Former Keikoin Guest Hall designated?
- On December 26, 2002.
Basic Information
| Name | Main Building of the Jingu Saishu Residence (Former Keikoin Guest Hall) (神宮祭主職舎本館（旧慶光院客殿）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1-29 Ujiurata, Ise City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2002/12/26 (Heisei 14) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 23.3 by 18.5 metres, single storey, hip-and-gable roof entered at the gable end, middle gate and carriage porch, tile, cypress-bark and copper roofs |
| Owner | Ise Jingu |
| Public Access | Exterior seen from the gate; part of the interior opens every November 3 |
References
- Main Building of the Jingu Saishu Residence (Former Keikoin Guest Hall) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/3759
- Main Building of the Jingu Saishu Residence (Ise City)
- https://www.city.ise.mie.jp/cul_spo_edu/culture/bunkazai_shiseki/bunkazai/kenzoubutsu/1009527.html
- Opening of the Former Keikoin Guest Hall (Jingu museums)
- https://museum.isejingu.or.jp/news/bxyoykox.html
- History of the Shikinen Sengu (Ise Jingu)
- https://www.isejingu.or.jp/sengu/senguhistory.html
- Visiting cultural properties in Ise (Ise City Tourist Association)
- https://ise-kanko.jp/focus/culturalproperty/
Last verified: 2026.10.10