An Inari Worship Hall with Western Foundations
The Zenkaku Inari Shrine Worship Hall (善覚稲荷神社拝殿) is a gable-entry worship hall with Western-style foundation stones of 1919, moved in 1962 in Kiyama, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 27, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a copper roof and a building area of 44 square metres; registration number 33-0285.
A Worship Hall beside the Main Shrine's
According to the Okayama Prefecture Association of Shinto Shrines, Kiyama Shrine is said to date from 816 and enshrines Susanoo; the mountaintop shrine remains as the inner shrine, and the lower shrine was built at the foot of the mountain in 1962.
The worship hall of Zenkaku Inari Shrine, of 1919 and moved in 1962, stands to the right of the worship hall of the main shrine (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a hip-and-gable hall entered from the gable end, with a copper roof, an offering room behind on the right and a linking hall to the main hall.
Designed by Egawa Saburohachi, it shows his hallmarks in its grouped rafters, distinctive trusses and coffered ceiling, and its front foundation stones are given a Western-style design (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the Western-style foundation stones at the front and the grouped rafters and trusses (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Kiyama Shrine (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting hours was found. The worship hall, corridor and the main hall and worship hall of Zenkaku Inari Shrine in the precinct are introduced together on the Kiyama Shrine page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1919, moved in 1962.
- Where is it?
- Beside the main shrine's worship hall.
- What is attached?
- An offering room and a linking hall.
- What is unusual?
- Western-style foundation stones.
- When was the Zenkaku Inari Shrine Worship Hall registered?
- On October 27, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Zenkaku Inari Shrine Worship Hall (善覚稲荷神社拝殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1265-1 Kiyama, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/10/27 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, copper roof, 44 m² |
| Owner | Kiyama Shrine |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Zenkaku Inari Shrine Worship Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012032
- Kiyama Shrine (Okayama Prefecture Association of Shinto Shrines, in Japanese)
- https://www.okayama-jinjacho.or.jp/search/19098/?print=pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.27
