A drum tower that still keeps the hours
The Yahiko Shrine Drum Tower (彌彦神社鼓楼, Iyahiko Jinja Korō) in Yahiko, Yahiko Village, Niigata Prefecture, is the 1916 tower at Yahiko Shrine from which a drum sounds the time, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 1998/09/02 (number 15-0021).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a footprint of 5.9 square metres. It first stood beside the old shrine office and was moved to its present site in 1962, when a new office was completed.
A railed balcony on a flared base
It measures 8 shaku square, with 16 shaku to the eaves. The lower part flares out in a hakamagoshi skirt, above which a balcony with a Kōran railing runs round under a gabled roof with rounded mino-kō edges that soften its outline.
The Agency notes that it still serves as a drum tower marking the hours. Even after being moved, it keeps doing the job it was built for.
Hearing it
The shrine says the great drum is beaten 3 times a day as a time signal, at 5:00 a.m. (6:00 a.m. from November to March), at noon and at 10:00 p.m., and also 30 minutes before each rite to call the priests. Be in the grounds at noon to hear the Yahiko Shrine Drum Tower.
The tower stands near the Zuishinmon gate and the subsidiary shrines. Look at how the flared skirt meets the balcony and railing above.
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Q&A
- When does the drum at Yahiko Shrine sound?
- According to the shrine, at 5:00 a.m. (6:00 a.m. from November to March), at noon and at 10:00 p.m.
- Where is the Yahiko Shrine Drum Tower?
- Near the Zuishinmon gate and the subsidiary shrines.
- Was the drum tower moved?
- Yes; it stood beside the old shrine office and was moved to its present site in 1962.
- How big is the Yahiko Shrine Drum Tower?
- 8 shaku square and 16 shaku to the eaves, with a footprint of 5.9 square metres.
- When was it registered?
- On 1998/09/02, as number 15-0021.
Basic Information
| Name | Yahiko Shrine Drum Tower (彌彦神社鼓楼) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2898 Yahiko, Yahiko Village, Nishikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 15-0021 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/09/02 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof; footprint 5.9 square metres; 8 shaku square, 16 shaku to the eaves; flared skirt base |
| Owner | Yahiko Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior only (drum sounded 3 times a day) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Yahiko Shrine Drum Tower
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000676
- Yahiko Shrine official site — Drum tower (Japanese)
- https://www.yahiko-jinjya.or.jp/meguru/koro/index.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
