The great torii on the south side
Sumiyoshi Taisha South Great Torii Gate (住吉大社南大鳥居, minami-ōtorii) is an early Edo-period stone torii at the start of the southern approach to Sumiyoshi Taisha in Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/05/10. It is 5.7 metres wide and 6.4 metres high.
This is the south-facing entrance, near the Shinkan zone and the sacred rice paddy. Walk over from Sumiyoshi-higashi Station on the Nankai Koya Line and this is roughly the direction from which you approach.
A slimmer copy of the west gate
Like the West Great Torii, it is a stone Myōjin torii, built one size smaller. It matches the east and north great torii in scale, and the official description says the four together mark the four sides of the precinct, calling this one the core of the southern face of the grounds.
Its height of 6.4 metres is the same as the West Great Torii, but its span is 5.7 metres against 6.1 metres, about 40 centimetres narrower. Keeping the height and trimming the width gives the Sumiyoshi Taisha South Great Torii Gate a more upright look than the west gate. It shares its span with the north torii and stands about 10 centimetres lower.
The database records a Meiji-period move for the north torii but no move for this one. It may therefore be the one great torii that still stands where it was set up in the early Edo period, but the published sources do not include the historical maps that would confirm it.
What to look for, and visiting
Inside the Sumiyoshi Taisha South Great Torii Gate lie the Shinkan zone, with the Shinkan Hall, the Saikan Hall and the Satsukiden Hall, and the paddy where the rice-planting ritual takes place on June 14. Head north and you reach the south side of the main sanctuary. On Hattatsu days, the first Day of the Dragon each month, crowds circulate from early morning between the four small shrines in the southeast corner.
The torii stands on the outer edge of the grounds and can be seen at any time; enter during opening hours. The outer gates close at 4:00 p.m. Opening hours and directions are on the Sumiyoshi Taisha page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Sumiyoshi Taisha South Great Torii Gate?
- On the south side of the grounds, at the start of the southern approach near the Shinkan zone and the sacred paddy.
- How big is the South Great Torii?
- It is 5.7 metres wide and 6.4 metres high, the same height as the West Great Torii but about 40 centimetres narrower.
- How old is the Sumiyoshi Taisha South Great Torii Gate?
- The national database dates it to the early Edo period. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/05/10.
- How does it relate to the other great torii?
- It matches the east and north torii in size, and together with the larger west torii the four mark the boundary of the precinct.
- What is inside the South Great Torii?
- The Shinkan zone with its reception and lodging halls, and the paddy used for the June rice-planting ritual. The main sanctuary lies to the north.
Basic Information
| Name | Sumiyoshi Taisha South Great Torii Gate (住吉大社南大鳥居) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-9-89 Sumiyoshi, Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 27-746 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/05/10 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone; 5.7 metres wide, 6.4 metres high |
| Owner | Sumiyoshi Taisha (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Stands at the south entrance; no charge |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Sumiyoshi Taisha South Great Torii Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012420
- 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 — Access
- https://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/access/
- Sumiyoshi Taisha official site — Hattatsu pilgrimage
- https://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/worship/hattatu.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
