The first registered property most visitors touch
Omi Shrine Chozuya (近江神宮手水舎, Ōmi Jingū Chōzusha), the purification pavilion 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 stands beyond the Second Torii on the right, beside the stone steps climbing towards the two-storey gate. Kirizuma-zukuri under copper sheet, 18 square metres. The original roof was Hiwadabuki cypress bark.
Of the 40 registered properties here, this is the one visitors actually stop at and put their hands to. Rinsing before going further is part of a visit, and the place where it happens is on the register.
Corner posts leaned inward
Its number as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property is 25-0090, registered on 9 October 1998. Omi Shrine Chozuya belongs to the first construction campaign, completed in 1940.
The interest is in how the posts stand. The corner posts are set with Uchikorobi, an inward lean, and each is flanked by two braced posts. Leaning a column slightly inward instead of setting it plumb makes a building look settled and gives it more real purchase. On a four-post structure this small, the effect counts for a lot.
The bracketing is a boat-shaped arm, the eaves are single-tiered with widely spaced rafters, the gable is framed with a scissors truss, and a Gegyo pendant hangs at the barge board. An 18-square-metre shelter carries the same vocabulary as the halls, with nothing left out.
Checking the lean with your own eyes
Omi Shrine Chozuya sits on the approach and can be walked right up to. Within opening hours it can be seen from the front and from the side.
Start at the foot of a post and follow it up. The four corner posts lean slightly inward. Assume they are vertical and you will miss it; compare the line of the post with the line of the roof and the angle shows. The pair of braced posts slanting against each corner is obvious once you are close.
According to the shrine, the ladles have been put away and purification is done under running water. The basin is audible, so following the sound is enough to find it. Photography is unrestricted.
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Q&A
- Where is Omi Shrine Chozuya?
- Beyond the Second Torii on the right, beside the stone steps leading up to the two-storey gate. It stands on the approach and can be reached freely.
- What is structurally distinctive about Omi Shrine Chozuya?
- Its corner posts lean inward, and each is flanked by two braced posts. The bracketing is a boat-shaped arm, the eaves single-tiered with widely spaced rafters, and a pendant hangs at the barge board.
- What is the roof of Omi Shrine Chozuya made of?
- Copper sheet now; the Agency for Cultural Affairs records cypress bark as the original covering. It is a gabled roof over 18 square metres.
- Can visitors use Omi Shrine Chozuya?
- Yes. The shrine has put the ladles away, so purification is done under running water. The grounds are open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- When was Omi Shrine Chozuya built?
- In 1940, as part of the first construction campaign. It was registered on 9 October 1998.
Basic Information
| Name | Omi Shrine Chozuya (近江神宮手水舎) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1 Jingucho, Otsu, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structures), registration number 25-0090 |
| Year Designated | Registered 9 October 1998 (Heisei 10), gazetted 26 October 1998 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Gabled; copper roof, originally cypress bark; floor area 18 square metres; inward-leaning corner posts with two braces each |
| Owner | Omi Shrine |
| Public Access | On the approach, freely visited and photographed. Purification under running water. Grounds open 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., free |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Omi Shrine Chozuya
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000868
- Omi Shrine official site: precinct map and guide
- https://oumijingu.org/pages/96/
Last verified: 2026.09.13
