Omi Shrine Lattice Wall (northern Part)

A Fence That Climbs With the Ground

Omi Jingu Sukibei, North Section (近江神宮透塀（北部）, also written Ōmi Jingū Sukibei Hokubu), a slatted enclosing fence at Omi Jingu in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, was built in 1940 and was placed on the national register of Tangible Cultural Properties in 1998.

It begins at the northern end of the wing corridor, defines the north and west faces of the innermost enclosure, and runs on to join the rear gate. Length 36 metres, roofed in cypress bark to match the sanctuary.

The construction is straightforward to describe. Chamfered square posts stand on a continuous sill. On the posts sit hakari-hijiki, balance-arm brackets, and these carry a small roof running the length of the fence. Between the posts, a single wide board forms the base; above it, between the lower rail and the head rail, the wall becomes a latticed window.

The Ridge Steps Up

Now the detail that makes this section worth its own entry.

From the fifth bay westward, the ridge of the little roof is raised by one step. The ground inside the innermost enclosure does not lie flat, and rather than run a level roof across a sloping site, or bury the change in an awkward taper, the designers simply lifted the ridge at a defined point and carried on.

It is a small decision with consequences. A stepped ridge keeps every bay of the fence the same proportion, since the fence rises with the ground instead of the ground gradually eating into the fence. It also gives the enclosure a visible articulation, a point where the eye registers that the terrain has changed.

This is what makes Omi Jingu interesting as architecture. The complex was laid out on a hillside by the Home Ministry's Shrine Bureau, with Sunami Takashi and Tani Shigeo as designers, and the way it responds to slope is the recurring theme: buildings on stepped terraces, corridors that climb, and here a fence that steps.

Registration came on 9 October 1998 under number 25-0062, with the criterion that it serves as a model of design. Omi Jingu was founded in 1940 to enshrine Emperor Tenji, who moved the capital to Otsu in 667.

Seeing It

Be aware before travelling that this fence is not accessible. It encloses the innermost court, and worship takes place at the outer worship hall well in front of that. General visitors do not enter the inner enclosures.

What remains possible is to read the site. Stand at the outer worship hall and look at how the ground rises behind it in stages. The fence is doing at its own scale exactly what the terraces do at theirs, and understanding one helps you understand the other.

For latticework you can examine at close range, the outer slatted fences near the north gate serve the same purpose in the 1944 campaign and are roofed in copper. The tower gate and the outer colonnade also use balance-arm brackets at accessible heights.

The grounds are free and open 6:00 to 18:00. Omi-jingu-mae station on the Keihan Ishiyama-Sakamoto line is a nine-minute walk, with 200 free parking spaces outside the New Year period.