A corridor that encloses as it descends
Omi Shrine Inner Precinct Corridor, North (近江神宮内院廻廊（北部）, Ōmi Jingū Naiin Kairō Hokubu), the northern arm of the cloister round the inner enclosure at Omi Shrine in Jingu-cho, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, was built in 1940 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 1998.
It drops north from the Inner Worship Hall, descends a flight of stone steps as it turns along the north side, and meets the corridor running north from the Outer Worship Hall. With that, the north side of the inner enclosure is closed. The floor area is 129 square metres.
It is a single-aisle corridor, Renji-mado lattice outside and open within, with round columns, boat-shaped bracket arms, a scissors-truss roof frame and single-tiered eaves.
A corridor with a staircase inside it
Its number as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property is 25-0066, registered on 9 October 1998. What sets Omi Shrine Inner Precinct Corridor, North apart from the other corridors is that it does not run level. It changes height partway.
The Inner Worship Hall sits on a terrace at the western end of the inner enclosure, the Outer Worship Hall at the eastern end, and there is a drop between them. This corridor descends north from beside the Inner Worship Hall, then takes a second flight of stone steps where it turns along the north face, arriving at the level of the Outer Worship Hall. It is an enclosure and, at the same time, a member that traces the section of the courtyard.
The whole of the inner enclosure was originally roofed in Hiwadabuki cypress bark; it is copper sheet now. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the change, and reading it alongside the sanctuary and wing corridors above, which keep their bark, explains why the roofs in this precinct fall into two kinds.
Looking up from the north end of the Outer Worship Hall
Omi Shrine Inner Precinct Corridor, North encloses the inner courtyard and is not open to visitors, but a good deal of it is visible from the Outer Worship Hall.
Stand at the northern end of that hall and the corridor closing the north side comes into view. A run of lattice extends sideways, and the floor level changes partway along. The step shows in the ridge line too, so the break is legible from a distance.
The colour of the copper is worth noticing. Roofs with a greenish patina belong to the corridors of the inner enclosure; the reddish brown to grey of cypress bark belongs to the structures above. Omi Shrine Inner Precinct Corridor, North sits right on that dividing line. Photography in the grounds is unrestricted.
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Q&A
- What does Omi Shrine Inner Precinct Corridor, North enclose?
- The north side of the inner enclosure. It runs down from the Inner Worship Hall, descends steps along the north face and joins the corridor extending north from the Outer Worship Hall.
- What is distinctive about Omi Shrine Inner Precinct Corridor, North?
- It does not run level. The difference in height between the Inner and Outer Worship Halls is absorbed by a flight of stone steps inside the corridor itself.
- What is the roof of Omi Shrine Inner Precinct Corridor, North made of?
- Copper sheet today. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the whole inner enclosure was originally roofed in cypress bark. The floor area is 129 square metres.
- Can Omi Shrine Inner Precinct Corridor, North be seen?
- It cannot be walked through, but from the north end of the Outer Worship Hall you can see it closing the courtyard, with its run of lattice and the change of level partway along.
- When was Omi Shrine Inner Precinct Corridor, North registered?
- On 9 October 1998, as number 25-0066. It was built in 1940.
Basic Information
| Name | Omi Shrine Inner Precinct Corridor, North (近江神宮内院廻廊（北部）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1 Jingucho, Otsu, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structures), registration number 25-0066 |
| Year Designated | Registered 9 October 1998 (Heisei 10), gazetted 26 October 1998 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-aisle corridor; copper roof, originally cypress bark; floor area 129 square metres; lattice outside, open inside |
| Owner | Omi Shrine |
| Public Access | Encloses the inner courtyard, closed to visitors. Visible from the north end of the Outer Worship Hall. Grounds open 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., free |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Omi Shrine Inner Precinct Corridor (North)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000844
- Omi Shrine official site: precinct map and guide
- https://oumijingu.org/pages/96/
Last verified: 2026.09.13
