What the Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall Is
The Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall (宇太水分神社本殿, Uda Mikumari Jinja Honden) is a set of three late Kamakura-period sanctuaries at Uda Mikumari Shrine in Furuichiba, Utano, Uda City, Nara Prefecture; an inscription on the ridge beam of the First Hall dates it to 1320, and it was designated a National Treasure on March 20, 1954.
Counting from the right as you face them, the buildings are the First, Second and Third Halls, and they stand in a single row on a terrace behind the worship hall. According to the Japan Travel Bureau Foundation's register of tourism resources, each houses one of the shrine's three deities: Ame-no-Mikumari in the First Hall, Hayaakitsuhiko in the Second and Kuni-no-Mikumari in the Third.
All three are the same size, one bay wide, and built in the sumigi-iri form of Kasuga-zukuri with roofs of cypress bark. A Kasuga-style shrine turns the gable end of its roof to the front and adds a projecting porch roof, the Kōhai, over the steps. At the Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall the porch roof is framed into the main roof as one piece, with diagonal corner rafters (sumigi) at the two front corners. That detail gives the variant its name.
Why the Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall Is a National Treasure
Few small shrine buildings can say exactly when they went up. The Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall can. The Agency for Cultural Affairs reports that the ridge beam of the First Hall records the raising of the frame on the 23rd day of the second month of 1320, and considers the Third Hall to be of the same date.
The Agency's description also stresses the richness of the detail. The bracket sets are of the Degumi type, a curved infill board (Shirin) runs under the eaves, and every face of each hall carries a carved Kaerumata, the frog-leg strut set between the posts. The ends of the head tie beams are carved as Kibana. The porch has Mitsudo-gumi bracketing with the same struts and beam-end carvings as the main body. For buildings this small, the Agency notes, the decoration is remarkably full.
The Second Hall has a slightly different story. The Agency observes that parts of it show Muromachi-period workmanship, and the Japan Travel Bureau Foundation's register says it underwent a major repair close to a rebuilding in 1558. The three matching halls are therefore two from the Kamakura period and one substantially reworked in the Muromachi period.
The Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall was first protected on April 17, 1911, as a Special Protected Building under the Ancient Shrines and Temples Preservation Law. It became an Important Cultural Property when the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties took effect in 1950, and was designated a National Treasure on March 20, 1954.
What to Look For at the Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall
Start with the arrangement. The three halls of the Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall are the same size and evenly spaced in a straight line, which makes them easy to compare one by one. The Second Hall, in the middle, is the one reworked in the Muromachi period; look at its brackets and carved struts and check if they differ in character from the halls on either side.
Then move to the sides. The carved kaerumata appear on the side bays as well as the front. As the Japan Travel Bureau Foundation's register notes, the halls are painted and colored all over, so the carvings stand out between vermilion posts and white wall panels. The shirin boards under the eaves are worth a look too: they show how many layers of carpentry were packed into such small buildings.
Nara Prefecture's survey list records that the Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall was dismantled and repaired in 1919. The roofs were re-covered in 1959, the halls were dismantled and repaired again after disaster damage in 1972, and the roofs and paintwork were restored in fiscal 2003.
Visiting the Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall
The Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall stands on a terrace enclosed by a sacred fence, and on an ordinary visit you view it from in front of the worship hall, outside the fence. From there the facades and roof shapes are clear, but the carvings and bracket sets are too far away to make out in detail.
For a closer look, ask about the special viewing inside the fence that the shrine offers. According to the Japan Travel Bureau Foundation, visitors who apply at the shrine office can enter the enclosure for a fee. Check the hours and the fee with the shrine in advance. The interiors are not shown to the public. No photography rules have been published, so the safest course is to ask at the shrine office when you arrange the viewing.
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Q&A
- When was the Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall built?
- The ridge beam of the First Hall is inscribed with a raising date in 1320, and the Third Hall is considered to be of the same date. The Second Hall shows Muromachi-period work, and one source records a major repair in 1558.
- When was the Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall designated a National Treasure?
- On March 20, 1954. It had already been protected since April 17, 1911, as a Special Protected Building under the Ancient Shrines and Temples Preservation Law.
- Which deities are enshrined in the three buildings of the Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall?
- According to the Japan Travel Bureau Foundation, the First Hall on the right enshrines Ame-no-Mikumari, the Second Hall in the center Hayaakitsuhiko, and the Third Hall on the left Kuni-no-Mikumari.
- What does sumigi-iri Kasuga-zukuri mean at the Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall?
- It is a Kasuga-style hall, gable end to the front, in which the porch roof is built as one with the main roof and diagonal corner rafters (sumigi) are set at the front corners. All three halls take this form and share the same size.
- Can I see the Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall up close?
- Normally you view it from outside the sacred fence. A paid special viewing inside the fence can be arranged at the shrine office; confirm the hours and fee with the shrine beforehand.
Basic Information
| Name | Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall (First, Second and Third Halls) |
|---|---|
| Location | Furuichiba, Utano Ward, Uda City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Treasure (Building) |
| Year Designated | March 20, 1954 as National Treasure (April 17, 1911 as Special Protected Building) |
| Quantity | 3 buildings |
| Dimensions | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database (three one-bay sumigi-iri Kasuga-style halls of equal size, cypress-bark roofs) |
| Owner | Uda Mikumari Shrine |
| Public Access | Viewable from outside the sacred fence; paid special viewing inside the fence on request at the shrine office; interiors closed |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall (First Hall)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2756
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall (Second Hall)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2757
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall (Third Hall)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2758
- Nara Prefecture: Survey list of nationally designated buildings (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.nara.jp/secure/324118/6.pdf
- Japan Travel Bureau Foundation, Register of Tourism Resources: Uda Mikumari Shrine (Japanese)
- https://tabi.jtb.or.jp/res/290093-
- Uda Mikumari Shrine official website (Japanese)
- https://www1.odn.ne.jp/udanomikumari/
Last verified: 2026.10.06
Cultural Treasures in the Same Area
All are within walking distance in the same area, so we recommend visiting them together.
- Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall (First Hall) 0.00 km
- Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall (Second Hall) 0.01 km
- Uda Mikumari Shrine Main Hall (Third Hall) 0.01 km
