Oimatsu Nagata Brewery Inari Shrine Sheltering Hall

About the Oimatsu Nagata Brewery Inari Shrine Sheltering Hall

The Oimatsu Nagata Brewery Inari Shrine Sheltering Hall (老松永田醸造稲荷社鞘堂) is a small Taisho-era hall in the north-west of the Oimatsu Nagata Brewery compound in Kamicho, Watari Town, Miyagi Prefecture, sheltering a small Inari shrine, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 14, 2002. It is said to be the work of Kesen carpenters (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 4.8 square metres; registration number 04-0040, owned by Nagata Jozo Co., Ltd. Oimatsu Nagata Brewery is a long-established miso and soy sauce maker in central Watari, whose shop, main house and Inari shrine hall were all registered on February 14, 2002 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Why It Was Registered

The Oimatsu Nagata Brewery Inari Shrine Sheltering Hall was registered as a building that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that its lavish, finely detailed carvings on the upper walls bear out the tradition that Kesen carpenters made it.

What to Look For

The Oimatsu Nagata Brewery Inari Shrine Sheltering Hall stands on a low base of cut stone: one bay square, gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) with a sheet-iron roof and entered at the gable end, with panelled doors at the front and lattices on the sides and back (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The ornate carvings on the panels above the openings are the highlight (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The small hall is crowned with carving, and the shrine inside shows through the lattices.

Visiting the Oimatsu Nagata Brewery Inari Shrine Sheltering Hall

We found no official information on visits to the Oimatsu Nagata Brewery Inari Shrine Sheltering Hall. Opening hours and the address are on the Oimatsu Nagata Brewery page.