One of a row of subsidiary shrines
The Yahiko Shrine Otoko Subsidiary Shrine (彌彦神社摂社乙子神社) in Yahiko, Yahiko Village, Niigata Prefecture, is a subsidiary shrine in the grounds of Yahiko Shrine, rebuilt in 1916 after the fire of 1912 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 1998/09/02 (number 15-0010).
It enshrines Take-Morozumi no Mikoto, the seventh generation counting from Ame-no-Kaguyama no Mikoto. Shrine tradition says he served Emperor Sujin as a minister and, on imperial command, built the first halls of Yahiko Shrine and set its rites in order. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey timber building with a copper-sheet roof and a footprint of just 5.0 square metres.
Rebuilt in its old form
Eight subsidiary shrines stand in a single row on the terrace above the dance hall and musicians' hall. The fire of 1912 destroyed 3 of them, and in 1916 those 3 were rebuilt in the same form as before: the Kusanagi, Imayama and Otoko shrines. The Tobashira shrine at the right-hand end, a Genroku-era hall that escaped the fire, is protected under a separate national system.
The 乙子 shrine is a one-bay nagare-zukuri hall on a raised platform, with a veranda on three sides, wing screens and a copper roof. The Imayama, Otoko and Kusanagi shrines share the same size and form, the Otoko shrine being fifth from the left.
Seeing it
The Yahiko Shrine Otoko Subsidiary Shrine stands fifth from the left in the row of subsidiary shrines on the terrace above the dance hall, to the right of the path beyond the Second Torii Gate. Visitors pray in front of it; there is no interior to enter. The shrine says this deity's tomb lies beside the sacred tree in the grounds.
The deity of the Otoko shrine is credited with building the first halls of Yahiko Shrine, and in 1916 his own small hall was rebuilt exactly as it had been. Standing towards the right of the row, it is close enough to compare directly with the older Tobashira hall at the end.
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Q&A
- Where is the Yahiko Shrine Otoko Subsidiary Shrine?
- Fifth from the left in the row of subsidiary shrines above the dance hall at Yahiko Shrine.
- Who is enshrined in the Yahiko Shrine Otoko Subsidiary Shrine?
- Take-Morozumi no Mikoto.
- Who was the deity of the Otoko shrine?
- Take-Morozumi no Mikoto, seventh in line from Ame-no-Kaguyama no Mikoto, said to have built the first halls of Yahiko Shrine on imperial command.
- When was the Yahiko Shrine Otoko Subsidiary Shrine built?
- It was rebuilt in 1916, in its pre-fire one-bay nagare-zukuri form, after the fire of 1912.
- When was it registered as a cultural property?
- On 1998/09/02, as number 15-0010.
Basic Information
| Name | Yahiko Shrine Otoko Subsidiary Shrine (彌彦神社摂社乙子神社) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2898 Yahiko, Yahiko Village, Nishikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 15-0010 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/09/02 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, copper-sheet roof; footprint 5 square metres; one-bay nagare-zukuri |
| Owner | Yahiko Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior only (open for worship from the front) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Yahiko Shrine Otoko Subsidiary Shrine
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000665
- Yahiko Shrine official site — Subsidiary shrines (Japanese)
- https://www.yahiko-jinjya.or.jp/meguru/setumatusya/index.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
