What the Takemikumari Shrine Auxiliary Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall is
The Takemikumari Shrine Auxiliary Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall (建水分神社摂社南木神社築地塀, Takemikumari Jinja Sessha Nagi Jinja Tsuijibei) is a reinforced concrete wall of 1938 enclosing the main hall of Nagi Shrine, the auxiliary shrine to Kusunoki Masashige in the grounds of Takemikumari Shrine, Suibun, Chihayaakasaka Village, Osaka Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 4, 2021.
A Tsuijibei is traditionally a wall of rammed earth capped with a small tiled roof, the formal boundary wall of temples, shrines and palaces. This one reproduces that form in reinforced concrete. It springs from behind the worship hall on the east and west and runs along both sides and the back of the main hall, marking off the sacred enclosure.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as reinforced concrete with a tiled roof and a total length of 41 meters, counted as one structure and classed as a "miscellaneous structure" rather than a building. The roof is laid in Sangawara-buki pan tiles, and the whole wall is finished in Shikkui lime plaster.
Why the Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall was registered
The Takemikumari Shrine Auxiliary Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall was registered in the 97th round as number 27-0816, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the nation. The Agency credits it with giving the space around the main hall its quiet character, and its report names the wall, together with the treasure house, as part of the landscape of the shrine grove.
The material is modern but the design is faithful. The plastered face shows the outline of a timber framework, with a base, posts and a tie beam along the top, and even the gable boards at the ends are carefully made. Rather than pour a flat concrete screen, the builders reproduced the rhythm of post and beam found on a wooden wall, a measure of the effort put into this prewar rebuilding.
The wall dates from 1938, the same year as the main hall. After the 1934 Muroto Typhoon destroyed the old sanctuary, the enclosure was built alongside the new main hall; the shrine gives 1940 for the completion of the whole Nagi Shrine rebuilding.
What to look for at the Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall
The best feature of the Takemikumari Shrine Auxiliary Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall is the way it follows the hillside. According to the Agency, the side walls climb with the ground as they run back and join a rear wall set on a higher step. Chihayaakasaka Village notes that the wall behind the main hall rises steeply.
On the sloping stretches, look closely at the roof tiles. The village explains that the batten tiles on these inclined roofs were specially shaped so that their joints stay vertical. Ordinary tiles on a slanted roof would leave the joints running at an angle; here the tiles themselves were made differently so the lines read straight up and down.
On the wall face, trace the posts and tie beam standing out from the plaster. The white surface is divided by evenly spaced posts with the beam running level above them, and with the base at the bottom the whole composition follows a wooden tsuiji wall.
Visiting the Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall
The Takemikumari Shrine Auxiliary Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall encloses sacred ground, so you cannot go inside it. From outside it can be seen freely during your visit: where it starts beside the worship hall, and the side walls climbing away toward the back. The Agency's database shows it from the east and the west, and the two sides are the parts to look at.
The shrine publishes no photography policy. The ground beside the wall leads to the place of prayer in front of the Nagi Shrine worship hall, and a visitor parking lot is nearby, so keep an eye out for people and cars. Directions and visiting conditions for the precinct are on the Takemikumari Shrine page.
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Q&A
- When was the Takemikumari Shrine Auxiliary Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall built?
- In 1938, the same year as the Nagi Shrine main hall, as part of the rebuilding after the old buildings were destroyed in the 1934 Muroto Typhoon.
- Is the Takemikumari Shrine Auxiliary Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall made of earth?
- No. It is reinforced concrete finished in lime plaster with a pan-tile roof, reproducing the look of a traditional earthen tsuiji wall in modern materials.
- How long is the Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall at Takemikumari Shrine?
- It has a total length of 41 meters, running from behind the worship hall around both sides and the back of the main hall.
- What part of the Takemikumari Shrine Auxiliary Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall should I look at?
- The side walls climbing the slope and their roofs, where specially shaped batten tiles keep the joints vertical on the incline.
- Can I go inside the Takemikumari Shrine Auxiliary Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall?
- No. The wall encloses the sacred ground around the Nagi Shrine main hall. It can be viewed from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Takemikumari Shrine Auxiliary Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | 1060 Oaza Suibun, Chihayaakasaka Village, Minamikawachi District, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered February 4, 2021 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Total length 41 meters |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Takemikumari Shrine |
| Public Access | Grounds open for worship (free); the area inside the wall is closed |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013612
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nagi Shrine Tsuiji Wall
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/583903
- Agency for Cultural Affairs: Council for Cultural Affairs report on new Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings), July 17, 2020 (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/93206101_02.pdf
- Chihayaakasaka Village: Nagi Shrine, Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Japanese)
- https://www.vill.chihayaakasaka.osaka.jp/kakuka/kyoiku/syakaikyoiku/bunnkazai/9098.html
- Takemikumari Shrine official site: Precinct guide (Japanese)
- https://takemikumari.com/visit/
Last verified: 2026.10.04
