A vermilion gateway to the precinct
The Yahiko Shrine First Torii Gate (彌彦神社一之鳥居, Iyahiko Jinja Ichi-no-torii) in Yahiko, Yahiko Village, Niigata Prefecture, is the timber gateway at the end of the main approach to Yahiko Shrine, marking the entrance to the precinct, built in 1916 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 1998/09/02 (number 15-0013).
It is a four-legged Ryōbu torii, each main pillar braced front and back by a shorter post. A copper-sheet roof covers the top lintel, and the whole gate is painted vermilion. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it the landmark of the shrine grounds. The shrine name pillar stands to its right and the notice board stand to its left.
A question of height
The Agency gives a height of 8.5 metres in its structural entry, and in its description a span of about 6 metres between the pillars and a height of about 8.4 metres. The shrine's own guide gives the height as about 6 metres. The figures differ between sources; this article follows the Agency and notes the shrine's figure alongside.
The shrine says its buildings were once painted vermilion and that the colour of the First Torii Gate is a survival of that tradition, so the first colour a visitor meets at the entrance points back to the older shrine.
Seeing it
The Yahiko Shrine First Torii Gate can be seen at any time. Walking up the approach, the vermilion gate fills the view, with the shrine forest behind it, and just inside a stone bridge crosses the Mitarashi stream.
Look at it side on to see the bracing posts and the tie beams that join them to the main pillars, the defining feature of a ryobu torii, a type that spread in the era when Shinto and Buddhism were combined.
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Q&A
- Where is the Yahiko Shrine First Torii Gate?
- At the end of the main approach, at the entrance to the precinct.
- How tall is the Yahiko Shrine First Torii Gate?
- 8.5 metres in the Agency's record (about 8.4 metres in its description); the shrine gives about 6 metres.
- What type of torii is it?
- A four-legged ryobu torii, painted vermilion, with a copper roof over the top lintel.
- Why is the first torii at Yahiko Shrine red?
- The shrine says its halls were once painted vermilion and the gate keeps that colour.
- When was it registered?
- On 1998/09/02, as number 15-0013.
Basic Information
| Name | Yahiko Shrine First Torii Gate (彌彦神社一之鳥居) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2898 Yahiko, Yahiko Village, Nishikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 15-0013 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/09/02 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, copper-sheet roof; 8.5 metres high (about 8.4 metres in the Agency's description); about 6 metres between pillars; ryobu torii |
| Owner | Yahiko Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Freely visible (precinct entrance) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Yahiko Shrine First Torii Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000668
- Yahiko Shrine official site — First torii (Japanese)
- https://www.yahiko-jinjya.or.jp/meguru/ichinotorii/index.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
