The stone torii where the halls first come into view
The Yahiko Shrine Second Torii Gate (彌彦神社二之鳥居, Iyahiko Jinja Ni-no-torii) in Yahiko, Yahiko Village, Niigata Prefecture, is the stone gateway at the head of a flight of steps on the approach to Yahiko Shrine, built in 1916 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 1998/09/02 (number 15-0018).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs places it where the main approach turns left at the ablution pavilion and climbs a stone stair. It is a Myōjin torii of Inada stone, a granite from Ibaraki Prefecture, with 4.5 metres between the pillars and a top stone 8.4 metres long. The structural entry gives a height of 6.4 metres; the description says about 6 metres.
A turn in the path, then the view
The Agency notes that this torii is the first point from which the shrine halls can be seen. The approach runs straight from the First Torii Gate, turns at the ablution pavilion, and only once you pass the Second Torii Gate do the halls come into view. Bending the path to hide the goal, then opening the view at a gate, was central to the 1916 plan.
Where the First Torii Gate is vermilion timber, the second is pale, hard granite in the myojin form, its top beam lifting at the ends. Worshippers pass through two gates of different material and type in sequence.
Seeing it
The Yahiko Shrine Second Torii Gate can be seen at any time. Turn left at the ablution pavilion and climb the steps; between the pillars, the path to the halls opens up. Pause to find the spot where, as the Agency says, the halls first appear.
On a rise to the right, before the gate, are the sacred tree and its stone fence; beyond it, the dance hall and musicians' hall line the right of the path.
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Q&A
- Where is the Yahiko Shrine Second Torii Gate?
- At the top of a flight of steps, after the approach turns left at the ablution pavilion.
- What is the second torii at Yahiko Shrine made of?
- Inada granite; it is a stone myojin torii.
- How big is the Yahiko Shrine Second Torii Gate?
- 4.5 metres between the pillars, with a top stone 8.4 metres long; 6.4 metres high in the structural record (about 6 metres in the description).
- Why is it significant?
- The approach is planned so that the shrine halls first come into view as you pass through it.
- When was it registered?
- On 1998/09/02, as number 15-0018.
Basic Information
| Name | Yahiko Shrine Second Torii Gate (彌彦神社二之鳥居) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2898 Yahiko, Yahiko Village, Nishikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 15-0018 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/09/02 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone (Inada granite); 6.4 metres high (about 6 metres in the Agency's description); 4.5 metres between pillars; top stone 8.4 metres long; myojin torii |
| Owner | Yahiko Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Freely visible |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Yahiko Shrine Second Torii Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000673
- Yahiko Shrine official site — Visiting (Japanese)
- https://www.yahiko-jinjya.or.jp/visit/gosanpai/index.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
