A small stable for a sacred horse
The Myokyoji Sacred Horse Stable (妙教寺御厩舎, Myōkyō-ji Onkyūsha) is an early Showa-era shrine stable among the subsidiary shrines around the Reioden at Saijo Inari Myokyoji in Takamatsu Inari, Kita Ward, Okayama City, moved in 1979 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2009/01/08. It faces east, just south of the Onori Tennosha shrine, and houses a statue of a sacred horse.
Shrine stables kept horses offered to the gods, or statues standing in for them, and are usually found at Shinto shrines. That a Buddhist temple has one says something about Saijo Inari, which was allowed to keep its combined Shinto-Buddhist worship after the Meiji era. A table in an Okayama City article dates the Myokyoji Sacred Horse Stable more broadly, to the Taisho or early Showa era.
A gable roof and plaster walls
The Myokyoji Sacred Horse Stable measures 2.9 metres by 1.8 metres, with a building area of 5.2 square metres and a heavy-tiled gable roof entered from the gable end. Square posts stand on sills and carry the beams on simple boat-shaped brackets; the rafters are single and widely spaced.
At the front are double doors. The walls are plaster above wooden wainscoting, with a window set towards the front. Inside, on an earth floor, stands the horse.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a fine example of a small shrine stable. Among neighbours smothered in carving, it has almost none, and its plain frame and white walls make it look all the quieter.
What to look for, and visiting
The Myokyoji Sacred Horse Stable is in the area of the former main sanctuary and the Seventy-Seven Subsidiary Shrines, and can be seen at any time, free of charge. If the doors are open, you can see the horse statue on its earth floor through the doorway or the front window.
Look at the simple boat-shaped brackets and the change from wainscoting to plaster, then glance at the elaborately carved Onori Tennosha shrine just to the north to see the difference. Opening hours and directions are on the Saijo Inari Myokyoji page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Myokyoji Sacred Horse Stable
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Q&A
- What is inside the Myokyoji Sacred Horse Stable?
- A statue of a sacred horse, standing on an earth floor.
- Where is the Myokyoji Sacred Horse Stable?
- Among the subsidiary shrines around the former main sanctuary, just south of the Onori Tennosha shrine, facing east.
- When was the Myokyoji Sacred Horse Stable built?
- In the early Showa era according to the national database; it was moved in 1979.
- How big is the sacred horse stable?
- 2.9 metres by 1.8 metres, with a building area of 5.2 square metres.
- Why does a Buddhist temple have a shrine stable?
- Saijo Inari kept its combined Shinto-Buddhist worship after the Meiji era, so torii, shrine-style buildings and a sacred horse stable remain in its grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Myokyoji Sacred Horse Stable (妙教寺御厩舎) |
|---|---|
| Location | 712 Takamatsu Inari, Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 33-0191 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/01/08 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, gable-entry tiled roof; 2.9 metres by 1.8 metres, building area 5.2 square metres |
| Owner | Saijo Inarisan Myokyoji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior can be seen freely in the grounds (no charge) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Myokyoji Sacred Horse Stable
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007574
- Okayama City — Modern Japanese-style architecture at Saijo Inari Myokyoji, by Yasukawa Mitsuru (Japanese)
- https://www.city.okayama.jp/kankou/cmsfiles/contents/0000005/5279/000179262.pdf
- Saijo Inari official site — Former main sanctuary, Reioden (Japanese)
- https://inari.ne.jp/facility/252/
- Saijo Inari official site — Seventy-Seven Subsidiary Shrines (Japanese)
- https://inari.ne.jp/facility/250/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
