A prayer hall that is also a gate
Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate) (大鳥神社祝詞殿（中門）, Ōtori Jinja Norito-den (Chūmon)) is the building directly in front of the main sanctuary at Otori Shrine in Toriino, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, built in 1919 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2002.
The name records two jobs. It is the hall where priests recite norito, the formal Shinto prayers, and it is also the middle gate into the sanctuary enclosure. The wooden structure is two bays wide and one bay deep under a Hiwadabuki cypress-bark roof. At 12 square metres it is the smallest of the seven registered buildings at Otori Shrine.
What it lacks in size, the attached fences make up for. Openwork fences leave both sides of the Norito Hall at right angles and wrap around the main sanctuary for a combined 66 metres. The hall and its fences together define the sanctuary enclosure.
Curved gables front and back
Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate) carries registration number 25-0193, the first in the run of seven, and was registered as a model of form.
Its roof has a karahafu gable at both front and back. A karahafu is the cusped gable that swells upward at the centre and flicks out at the ends. Placing one on each face means the building has a front whichever way you approach it, giving the side that faces worshippers and the side that faces the deity equal rank.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits the hall with a skilful composition and graceful design that give order to the heart of the shrine.
Its position, behind the worship hall and ahead of the main sanctuary, lies on the central axis of the whole complex. The bark-roofed worship hall, this hall and the sanctuary line up one behind another, with the fences closing off either side. Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate) is the pivot of that layout, which was set out afresh in the rebuilding of 1919.
Looking past the worship hall
Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate) sits directly behind the worship hall, so from the front the two overlap. Because the worship hall has no walls, the karahafu gable behind shows between its columns. That layered view is the clearest sense you will get of the shrine's central axis.
To read the building's own shape, step round to one side of the worship hall. From there you can see the curve of the gable and the line of the fences turning away from it in the same glance.
The fences are latticed, so you can see through them. They give a fair idea of how close the rear gable stands to the main sanctuary.
Visiting Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate)
Behind Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate) lies the sanctuary enclosure, closed off by the fences. The shrine publishes no information about access to the interior or to the enclosure. The exterior can be viewed from around the worship hall.
There are no published photography rules. If a priest is conducting a rite in the Norito Hall, please do not stand close by. For access and visiting details, see the Otori Shrine page.
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Q&A
- What is Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate)?
- It stands in front of the main sanctuary and serves both as the hall where prayers are recited and as the middle gate into the sanctuary enclosure. It was built in 1919.
- What is special about the roof of Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate)?
- It is covered in cypress bark and has a curved karahafu gable on both the front and the back, facing the worship hall and the sanctuary alike.
- How big is Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate)?
- Two bays by one bay, with a building area of 12 square metres, the smallest of the seven registered buildings at the shrine. Openwork fences of 66 metres are attached to its sides.
- When was Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate) registered?
- On 25 June 2002, as registration number 25-0193, under the criterion of a building that serves as a model of form.
- Can I see Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate) up close?
- You can view the exterior from around the worship hall. The sanctuary enclosure behind it is fenced, and the shrine gives no information about entry.
Basic Information
| Name | Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate) (大鳥神社祝詞殿（中門）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 782 Toriino, Koka-cho, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structures), registration number 25-0193 |
| Year Designated | Registered 25 June 2002 (Heisei 14), gazetted 16 July 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden; 2 bays by 1 bay; karahafu gables front and back; cypress bark roof; building area 12 square metres; openwork fences of 66 metres attached |
| Owner | Otori Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from around the worship hall. No information on access inside the fences |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002775
- Cultural Heritage Online: Otori Shrine Norito Hall (Middle Gate)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/149385
- Otori Shrine official website: Shrine Overview
- https://www.ootorijinjya.jp/html/003.html
Last verified: 2026.09.16
