What the Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence are
The Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence (今宮神社神門及び瑞垣, Imamiya Jinja Shinmon oyobi Mizugaki) are the 1915 gate between the worship hall and the main hall of Imamiya Shrine in Ikawacho Tsuji, Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture, and the sacred fence that runs from it around the main hall; they were registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2016.
The shinmon is a timber gate with a copper-sheet roof and a frontage of 2.7 m. The mizugaki is a timber fence roofed in sheet iron, 48 m in total length. The Agency for Cultural Affairs classes the pair not as a building but as another kind of structure.
The Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence stand on the axis from worship hall to main hall and mark off the sacred ground around the main hall. The Imamiya Shrine (Miyoshi) page shows how the three registered properties are arranged.
Why the Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence were registered
The Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence were registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 1, 2016, under number 36-0132, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country, on the same day as the main hall and the worship hall.
The main hall and worship hall are both kept deliberately plain. By contrast, the description of the fence by the Agency points out that it is designed to dress up the front. Within an otherwise sober group of buildings, the gate and fence are where the decoration was put.
What to look for at the Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence
The shinmon gate
The gate is a small single-opening gate with a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof, entered on the gable end. Paneled Sankarado doors hang on the line of the front posts, and their upper parts are filled with diamond lattice, so even with the doors shut you sense the space beyond.
The mizugaki fence
The fence is built of timber on a base of cut stone and runs for 48 m. Compare the lattice along its top. On the front it is diamond lattice; on the sides and back it changes to simple vertical bars. The careful work is put where worshippers look, and the rest is kept plain.
The diamond lattice on the front repeats the pattern above the gate doors, so gate and fence read as one continuous screen.
Visiting the Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence
Look first at the Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence from in front of the worship hall, then walk along the fence to one side to find the point where the diamond lattice gives way to vertical bars. The precinct is on a slope, so judge the footing before trying to go round the back.
No published notice says whether the gate doors are normally open or whether visitors may pass inside. The fence marks the edge of sacred ground: view it from outside, and do not touch the lattice or the stone base.
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Q&A
- When were the Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence built?
- In 1915, together with the main hall and worship hall. They were registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2016.
- How large are the Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence?
- The gate has a frontage of 2.7 m and the fence runs for 48 m. The gate has a copper-sheet roof and the fence a sheet-iron one.
- How does the lattice differ along the Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence?
- The top of the fence has diamond lattice on the front and vertical bars on the sides and back. The upper parts of the gate doors are diamond lattice too.
- What type of gate is the Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate?
- A single-opening gate with a gabled roof, entered on the gable end, with sankarado doors hung on the front posts.
- Can visitors go inside the Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence?
- Whether the gate is opened or visitors may enter could not be confirmed. Please view it from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence (今宮神社神門及び瑞垣) |
|---|---|
| Location | 316-1 Tsuji, Ikawacho, Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016-08-01 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Gate: frontage 2.7 m; fence: 48 m in total length |
| Owner | Imamiya Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the shrine grounds (entry inside the gate and photography not confirmed) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011216
- Cultural Heritage Online: Imamiya Shrine Shinmon Gate and Mizugaki Fence
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/284243
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Imamiya Shrine Main Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011214
- Cultural Heritage Online: Imamiya Shrine Main Hall
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/241601
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011215
- Cultural Heritage Online: Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/269642
Last verified: 2026.10.16
