A Tiny Stone Shrine of 1824
The Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine (老松天満社金刀比羅社) is a small stone shrine of 1824 in Amagasemachi Ideguchi, Hita City, Oita Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on September 10, 2010 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey stone structure with a building area of 0.7 square metres, moved to its present site late in the Edo period; registration number 44-0181.
An Irimoya Roof Cut in Hita Stone
The Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine is a subsidiary shrine that stands on a built-up stone base north of the worship hall, facing south (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It measures 0.73 metres by 0.55 metres and carries a hip-and-gable roof with an undulating karahafu porch roof at the front.
It is cut from the local tuff known as Hita stone, and details borrowed from timber buildings, such as the bracket arms and the gable ornaments, are carefully carved in the stone (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes the outstanding craftsmanship of the Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property as a work that would not be easy to reproduce. It dates from 1824 and is recorded as having been moved to the site late in the Edo period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
The Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine is less than 1 metre across, and its detail only shows up close. Look at the curve of the karahafu porch roof, the bracket arms under the eaves and the gable ornaments, all produced by working the stone.
The torii on the approach is granite, while this shrine is local tuff (Agency for Cultural Affairs), so the two make a useful comparison of colour and texture.
Visiting
The Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine is on its stone base on the north side of the worship hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information was found on whether its doors are ever opened, and the public records do not say where it was moved from. Directions to the shrine and general visiting conditions are covered on the Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine page.
Q&A
- What is the Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine?
- A small stone shrine in the grounds of Oimatsu Tenmansha, north of the worship hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine made?
- In 1824; it was moved to the site late in the Edo period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What stone is the Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine made of?
- Local tuff known as Hita stone (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How big is the Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine?
- 0.73 metres by 0.55 metres, with a building area of 0.7 square metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine registered?
- On September 10, 2010 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine (老松天満社金刀比羅社) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1183 Nakamura, Amagasemachi Ideguchi, Hita City, Oita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010/09/10 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey stone, 0.7 m² (0.73 m by 0.55 m) |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Oimatsu Tenmansha |
| Public Access | Grounds free to visit (Hita City Tourism Association); no information on interior access |
References
- Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008385
- Oimatsu Tenmansha Shrine Kotohira Shrine (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/146117
Last verified: 2026.11.05
