A Momoyama Hall on the Island of Chikubushima
The Tsukubusuma Shrine Main Hall (都久夫須麻神社本殿) is the main hall of Tsukubusuma Shrine on Chikubushima island, Hayasaki-cho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture, which in 1953 was designated a National Treasure.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey hip-and-gable hall three bays square with cusped gables over the front and rear eaves, designated with a ridge tag.
The Agency notes that, according to shrine tradition, it began as a small shrine to Azaihime in the reign of Emperor Yuryaku, and that from medieval times it enshrined Benzaiten as the Buddhist form of its deity, famous as the Benzaiten of Chikubushima.
How the Hall Was Made
According to the Agency, the hall burned several times; after a fire in 1558 it was rebuilt in 1567. In 1602 Toyotomi Hideyori, with Katagiri Katsumoto as commissioner, remodelled the old hall and combined it with a building brought from elsewhere to create the present hall.
The core, three bays square, is the relocated building in Momoyama style, while the surrounding aisles and porch date from 1567; the carvings between the aisle posts and brackets were also brought from elsewhere and cut to fit. The designation text identifies the core as part of Fushimi Castle.
What to Look For
The Agency calls the core, decorated with lacquer, gold maki-e, carving, brilliant colour and gilt fittings, extremely sumptuous and finely made, and a representative building of the Momoyama period.
The splendour of Momoyama castle decoration survives here in a shrine on an island in the lake.
Visiting the Tsukubusuma Shrine Main Hall
Tsukubusuma Shrine is on Chikubushima, an island in Lake Biwa reached by boat. Check visiting arrangements with the shrine.
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Q&A
- When was the main hall designated a National Treasure?
- On 31 March 1953.
- When was it built?
- A hall rebuilt in 1567 was combined in 1602 with a building moved by Toyotomi Hideyori.
- What is special about the core?
- Lavish lacquer, gold maki-e, carving, colour and gilt fittings.
- Where did the core come from?
- Fushimi Castle, according to the designation text.
- How is 都久夫須麻 read?
- Tsukubusuma.
Basic Information
| Name | Tsukubusuma Shrine Main Hall (都久夫須麻神社本殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | Chikubushima, Hayasaki-cho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | National Treasure (building) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1953/3/31 (Showa 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building (with 1 ridge tag) |
| Dimensions | Three by three bays, single storey, hip-and-gable, cusped gables front and rear |
| Owner | Tsukubusuma Shrine |
| Public Access | Reached by boat |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Tsukubusuma Shrine Main Hall (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1519
Last verified: 2026.09.29