A small 1907 torii before a subsidiary shrine
Sumiyoshi Taisha Wakamiya Hachimangu Torii Gate (住吉大社摂社若宮八幡宮鳥居) is a stone torii built in 1907 in front of Wakamiya Hachimangu, a subsidiary shrine behind the main sanctuary of Sumiyoshi Taisha in Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka, beside the South Middle Gate. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/05/10. It is small: 2.0 metres wide and 2.3 metres high.
Wakamiya Hachimangu enshrines Emperor Ojin, worshipped as the god Hachiman and the son of Empress Jingu, who is the deity of the Fourth Sanctuary. It faces west just south of Gosho Gozen, the spot where the Sumiyoshi gods are said to have first been worshipped. The torii is the first thing you pass through on the way to it.
A rare form in a shrine full of torii
The shape is distinctive. The pillars are square, and the tie beam stops inside them instead of projecting beyond. The two lintels on top have no upward curve at all; they run dead straight. The official description calls it a rare type within grounds that hold a great many torii.
The shrine's own website lists two features of what it calls the "Sumiyoshi torii": the tie beam does not project beyond the pillars, and the pillars are square. The Sumiyoshi Taisha Wakamiya Hachimangu Torii Gate has both. While the great torii on the approaches are curved Myojin torii, a straight-lined torii of a different lineage stands at this shrine behind the sanctuaries.
The other point in its favour is its date. Most of the torii here can only be placed in a broad period, but this one is fixed at 1907, and the Agency values it as a torii of known date.
What to look for, and visiting
At 2.3 metres it barely asks you to look up. Step to the side to see how flat the top lintel is. The doors of the Wakamiya Hachimangu Main Hall beyond are painted with pine and white doves.
The shrine's annual festival is on January 12, when a priestess scatters boiling water from large cauldrons with bamboo grass in the yudate ritual, and the space in front of the torii fills with people. The Sumiyoshi Taisha Wakamiya Hachimangu Torii Gate lies behind the main sanctuary and can be visited freely during opening hours. Opening hours and directions are on the Sumiyoshi Taisha page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Sumiyoshi Taisha Wakamiya Hachimangu Torii Gate?
- In front of Wakamiya Hachimangu, a subsidiary shrine behind the main sanctuary next to the South Middle Gate, just south of Gosho Gozen.
- What is unusual about the Wakamiya Hachimangu Torii?
- Its pillars are square, the tie beam stays inside the pillars, and the lintels are completely straight, a rare combination in these grounds.
- When was the Sumiyoshi Taisha Wakamiya Hachimangu Torii Gate built?
- In 1907. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2018/05/10.
- Is it a Sumiyoshi torii?
- The shrine describes Sumiyoshi torii as having square pillars and a tie beam that does not project. This torii has both features.
- Is there a festival at the Sumiyoshi Taisha Wakamiya Hachimangu Torii Gate?
- Wakamiya Hachimangu holds its festival on January 12, with the yudate ritual of scattering boiling water from cauldrons.
Basic Information
| Name | Sumiyoshi Taisha Wakamiya Hachimangu Torii Gate (住吉大社摂社若宮八幡宮鳥居) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-9-89 Sumiyoshi, Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 27-751 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/05/10 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone; 2.0 metres wide, 2.3 metres high |
| Owner | Sumiyoshi Taisha (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Seen in front of Wakamiya Hachimangu during shrine hours; no charge |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Sumiyoshi Taisha Wakamiya Hachimangu Torii Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012425
- 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 — Subsidiary shrines (sessha)
- https://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/grounds/sessya.html
- Sumiyoshi Taisha official site — Architecture
- https://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/about/architect.html
- Sumiyoshi Taisha official site — January events
- https://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/events/annualevents/01.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
