Twin Taisha-Style Shrines Joined as One
The Miho Shrine Main Hall (美保神社本殿) is a main hall joining two taisha-style shrines of 1813 in Mihonosekicho Mihonoseki, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on February 16, 1982 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a twin taisha-style shrine with a cypress-bark roof, designated together with eighteen ridge tablets; designation number 02127.
A Twin Taisha-Style Shrine
This is the main hall of an ancient shrine recorded in the Izumo no Kuni Fudoki and the Engishiki (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Two taisha-style shrines, each with a front chamber, are joined by a linking room, and a pent roof over the stairs runs across the whole front, in the unusual hiyoku taisha (twin taisha) form.
The Japan Tourism Agency notes that the hall was built in 1813, with Mihotsuhime enshrined in the Ogozen and Ebisu in the Ninogozen. The cut of the crossed finials marks each deity: vertical on Ebisu's hall and horizontal on Mihotsuhime's. According to the Japan Tourism Agency, the deities are Ebisu (Kotoshironushi), god of fishing and commerce, and Mihotsuhime, and scenes from the myth of the ceding of the land are re-enacted in the harbour at the Morotabune rite on December 3 and the Aofushigaki rite on April 7.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency notes that it is the largest and oldest surviving example of this form in the region, and holds an important place as a variant of the taisha style.
What to Look For
Look for the two taisha-style halls joined by a linking room and the pent roof across the whole front (Agency for Cultural Affairs), and the different cuts of the finials (Japan Tourism Agency).
Visiting
It is owned by Miho Shrine (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting hours was found. The main hall and worship hall are introduced together on the Miho Shrine page.
Q&A
- When was the main hall built?
- In 1813 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What form does it take?
- Two taisha-style halls joined by a linking room, the hiyoku taisha form.
- Who is enshrined?
- Ebisu (Kotoshironushi) and Mihotsuhime (Japan Tourism Agency).
- What else is designated with it?
- Eighteen ridge tablets.
- When was the Miho Shrine Main Hall designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On February 16, 1982 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Miho Shrine Main Hall (美保神社本殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 608 Mihonosekicho Mihonoseki, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1982/02/16 (Showa 57) |
| Quantity | 1 building (with 18 ridge tablets) |
| Dimensions | Twin taisha-style shrine, cypress-bark roof |
| Owner | Miho Shrine |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Miho Shrine Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/2968
- Miho-seki: A Harbor Town (Japan Tourism Agency multilingual commentary database)
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/common/001557747.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.23
