A plastered storehouse for the portable shrine
Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse (大鳥神社神輿蔵, Ōtori Jinja Mikoshi-gura) is the plastered storehouse north of the offering hall at Otori Shrine in Toriino, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, built in 1919 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2002.
A mikoshi is the portable shrine carried through the streets at festival time. This single-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse has a Yosemune-zukuri hipped roof in Hongawarabuki tile, with a Sangawara-buki pent roof across the front sheltering two doorways. Its building area of 40 square metres is second only to the shrine office among the seven registered buildings.
The shrine's website also writes the name with other characters for the same word. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the storehouse holds the mikoshi and ritual implements.
Earth outside, timber inside
Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse carries registration number 25-0197 and was registered as a model of form.
The outside is a thick-walled earthen storehouse, but the inside is lined with boards on walls and floor, under a Saobuchi-tenjō batten ceiling. In effect, the earthen shell is finished inside like a wooden box.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the building as sturdy and carefully made, and picks out two features. One is the deeply projecting plaster cornice under the eaves, built out in stepped layers, which also helps shed rain from the walls. The other is a set of small round ventilation windows.
Notice the two kinds of tile as well. The main roof uses traditional interlocking round and flat tiles, while the front canopy uses single-piece wave-profile tiles.
The doors the festival passes through
Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse also protects the equipment for Ohara Gion, the shrine's annual festival in July. According to the shrine, the festival's origin is traced to 1415, a date recorded on an item called the senmaibari that is used in the mikoshi procession.
From outside, look for the depth of the cornice and the small round windows. On a plain wall the windows are easy to miss, and they are easier to pick out if you move round to an oblique angle rather than standing square in front.
The two doorways under the front canopy show where the mikoshi comes out and goes back in. Since the storehouse stands beside the offering hall, it is worth comparing their roofs.
Visiting Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse
Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse stands north of the offering hall, and its exterior can be viewed from the grounds. Being a store for festival equipment, it is not opened to visitors as far as the shrine's published information shows.
The shrine says nothing about photography. The mikoshi is taken out and returned around the July festival, so leave the area in front of the doors free. The route from the nearest station is set out on the Otori Shrine page.
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Q&A
- What is kept in Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse?
- According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the mikoshi and ritual implements. The interior has board-lined walls and floor and a batten ceiling.
- What should I look for on the outside of Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse?
- The deeply projecting plaster cornice and the small round ventilation windows. The main roof is hipped with traditional tiles, and the front canopy uses wave-profile tiles.
- How big is Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse?
- It is a single-storey earthen storehouse with a building area of 40 square metres and two doorways at the front.
- When was Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse registered?
- It was entered on the register as number 25-0197 on 25 June 2002. Construction dates to 1919.
- Can I go inside Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse?
- No interior access is announced. The exterior can be seen from the grounds, just north of the offering hall.
Basic Information
| Name | Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse (大鳥神社神輿蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 782 Toriino, Koka-cho, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structures), registration number 25-0197 |
| Year Designated | Registered 25 June 2002 (Heisei 14), gazetted 16 July 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, single storey; hipped roof; traditional tile roof (front canopy in wave-profile tile); building area 40 square metres |
| Owner | Otori Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the grounds. No interior access announced |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002779
- Cultural Heritage Online: Otori Shrine Mikoshi Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/193779
- Otori Shrine official website: History
- https://www.ootorijinjya.jp/html/000.html
- Otori Shrine official website: Shrine Overview
- https://www.ootorijinjya.jp/html/003.html
Last verified: 2026.09.16
