One of the Rokusha six
The Myokyoji Rokusha Tennosha Yomori Tennosha Shrine (妙教寺六社天王社夜守天王社, Myōkyō-ji Rokusha Tennōsha Yomori Tennōsha) is a one-bay shrine of 1895, second from the north in the Rokusha Tennosha south of the Reioden at Saijo Inari Myokyoji in Takamatsu Inari, Kita Ward, Okayama City, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2009/01/08. Its name, read Yomori, means "night guardian"; another Yomori Tennosha east of the Reioden is a separate registered building.
The Rokusha Tennosha, the "six Tenno shrines", are a row of six one-bay shrines of nearly identical size and form, set a little south of the Reioden buildings and running from north to south as Ichitomi, Yomori, Daigenki, Shiraito, Fukuyoshi and Fukusaki. The Agency for Cultural Affairs writes that the six, standing in an orderly line, create a solemn space.
A veranda on brackets and corbels
The Myokyoji Rokusha Tennosha Yomori Tennosha Shrine is a one-bay shrine with a nagare-style roof of cypress bark and a building area of 1.3 square metres. A rounded stone base sits on a cut-stone plinth, and the sills rest on that.
Round columns are tied by tie beams at three levels and a thin plate, with three-part brackets on top. The rafters are doubled only at the front, and the gables have a tie beam with an inverted-V strut.
The veranda is what to look at: it is carried on two-stepped bracket arms, and the front step on corbels projecting from below. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it matches the Ichitomi and Shiraito shrines of 1895 down to the details.
What to look for, and visiting
The Myokyoji Rokusha Tennosha Yomori Tennosha Shrine is second from the north in the Rokusha row. It can be seen at any time, free of charge; the interior is not open.
Crouch at the side to see the bracket arms under the veranda and the corbels under the front step. The other Yomori shrine, east of the Reioden, is an ornate hip-and-gable building with openwork carving: same name, entirely different look. Opening hours and directions are on the Saijo Inari Myokyoji page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Myokyoji Rokusha Tennosha Yomori Tennosha Shrine
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Q&A
- Where is the Myokyoji Rokusha Tennosha Yomori Tennosha Shrine?
- Second from the north in the Rokusha row south of the Reioden, just south of the Ichitomi shrine.
- Is it the same as the Yomori shrine east of the Reioden?
- No. That is a different, hip-and-gable shrine registered separately.
- When was the Myokyoji Rokusha Tennosha Yomori Tennosha Shrine built?
- In 1895.
- What is distinctive about the Rokusha Yomori shrine?
- Its veranda rests on two-stepped bracket arms and its front step on corbels.
- Is there another shrine like the Myokyoji Rokusha Tennosha Yomori Tennosha Shrine?
- Yes. The Ichitomi and Shiraito shrines of 1895 match it down to the details.
Basic Information
| Name | Myokyoji Rokusha Tennosha Yomori Tennosha Shrine (妙教寺六社天王社夜守天王社) |
|---|---|
| Location | 712 Takamatsu Inari, Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 33-0195 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/01/08 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, one-bay nagare-style cypress-bark roof; building area 1.3 square metres |
| Owner | Saijo Inarisan Myokyoji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior can be seen freely in the grounds (no charge); interior closed |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Myokyoji Rokusha Tennosha Yomori Tennosha Shrine
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007578
- 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 — Seventy-Seven Subsidiary Shrines (Japanese)
- https://inari.ne.jp/facility/250/
- Saijo Inari official site — Former main sanctuary, Reioden (Japanese)
- https://inari.ne.jp/facility/252/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
