An Open Worship Hall with Exposed Roof Timbers
The Miho Shrine Worship Hall (美保神社拝殿) is the worship hall of an ancient listed shrine of 1924 in Mihonosekicho Mihonoseki, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on June 29, 2022 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a shingle roof and a building area of 203 square metres, renovated in 1998; registration number 32-0216.
A Gable-Entered Hall Open on All Sides
This is the worship hall of an ancient shrine listed in the Engishiki, at Mihonoseki (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is six bays by three, with a gabled shingle roof and its entrance in the gable end, and a small gable in the centre of the front lean-to. Inside, columns stand thick on a stone floor; the hall is open on all four sides, and with no ceiling its orderly roof framing is on view.
According to the Japan Tourism Agency, a worship hall without walls is unusual in shrine architecture, and this one was designed by Ito Chuta. The Agency gives the year as 1928, while the Agency for Cultural Affairs records 1924. 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 Was Registered
The Agency notes it as a spacious hall fitting for the grand main hall in the so-called Miho style, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the columns standing on the stone floor and the orderly roof framing left open to view (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
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 worship hall built?
- In 1924 by the Agency record; the Japan Tourism Agency gives 1928.
- Who designed it?
- Ito Chuta (Japan Tourism Agency).
- What marks the building?
- It is open on all sides, with its roof framing on view.
- What is the floor?
- Stone, with many columns rising from it.
- When was the Miho Shrine Worship Hall registered?
- On June 29, 2022 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Miho Shrine Worship Hall (美保神社拝殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 608 Mihonosekicho Mihonoseki, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2022/06/29 (Reiwa 4) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, shingle roof, 203 m² |
| Owner | Miho Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Miho Shrine Worship Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014293
- 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
