A hall for the rice-planting ritual
Sumiyoshi Taisha Satsukiden Hall (住吉大社五月殿, Satsukiden) is a timber building of 1936 beside the front of the Shinkan zone at Sumiyoshi Taisha in Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka, on the north side of the shrine's sacred rice paddy, used for the rice-planting ritual and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/05/10. It is open-sided, with a gabled roof of clay tiles and a floor area of 46 square metres.
The paddy (onda) grows rice for offerings to the gods. Every June 14, after a ceremony at the main sanctuary, a procession comes to the paddy and young women plant seedlings by hand. The Satsukiden stands beside the field as part of that ritual; satsuki, the fifth month of the old calendar, is the rice-planting season.
The only formal stone platform in the grounds
The hall is three bays by two, ridge running east to west, open on all sides. According to the official description it is the only building in the grounds raised on a danjōzumi platform, a formal stone base of panel stones divided by upright posts and capped with a coping, normally reserved for the principal halls of temples.
Above the platform the building is plain, unpainted timber, finished boldly with thick chamfered square posts and rainbow beams. Ornament is held back and the weight of the timber does the work. The Agency says the Sumiyoshi Taisha Satsukiden Hall and the paddy together form a long-standing traditional landscape.
The rice-planting ritual became an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1979. The hall also serves the summer festival: during the Nagoshi purification on July 31 a purification ceremony is held here before participants walk through a great reed ring toward the main halls.
What to look for, and visiting
Go close to the base to see the stonework, with its panel stones set between upright posts; most buildings here sit on much simpler footings. From the paddy side you can frame the flooded field and the hall together.
The Sumiyoshi Taisha Satsukiden Hall stands beside the front of the Shinkan zone and can be seen from outside during opening hours, at no charge. On June 14 the paddy is surrounded by spectators. Opening hours and directions are on the Sumiyoshi Taisha page.
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Q&A
- What is the Sumiyoshi Taisha Satsukiden Hall used for?
- The rice-planting ritual on June 14, and the purification ceremony of the Nagoshi rite on July 31.
- Where is the Satsukiden Hall?
- Beside the front of the Shinkan zone, on the north side of the shrine's sacred rice paddy.
- What is special about its architecture?
- It is the only building at Sumiyoshi Taisha on a formal danjōzumi stone platform, with bold, plain timber framing above.
- When was the Sumiyoshi Taisha Satsukiden Hall built?
- In 1936. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/05/10.
- Can I visit the Sumiyoshi Taisha Satsukiden Hall?
- Yes, from outside during opening hours, free of charge. It is crowded on the day of the rice-planting ritual.
Basic Information
| Name | Sumiyoshi Taisha Satsukiden Hall (住吉大社五月殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-9-89 Sumiyoshi, Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 27-732 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/05/10 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey open-sided timber hall, gabled tiled roof; floor area 46 square metres |
| Owner | Sumiyoshi Taisha (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Visible from outside during shrine hours; no charge |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Sumiyoshi Taisha Satsukiden Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012406
- Osaka Prefecture — Designation report on Sumiyoshi Taisha, with a list of its protected buildings (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/documents/26540/01_sumiyoshitaisya_sitei.pdf
- Sumiyoshi Taisha official site — Major festivals
- https://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/events/special.html
- Sumiyoshi Taisha official site — June events
- https://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/events/annualevents/06.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
