What the Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall is
The Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall (今宮神社拝殿, Imamiya Jinja Haiden) is the hall of worship built in 1915 directly in front of the main hall of Imamiya Shrine in Ikawacho Tsuji, Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2016.
Its plan is a single bay on each side, a small square with a building area of 16 m². The Irimoya-zukuri hip-and-gable roof is sheathed in copper and the hall is Tsumairi, set with its gable end facing the front. It is the first building you meet at the top of the stone steps.
Behind the Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall the gate, the fence and the main hall follow in a straight line. The page for Imamiya Shrine (Miyoshi) explains the layout.
Why the Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall was registered
The Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 1, 2016, under number 36-0131, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country, on the same day as the main hall and the gate and fence.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the building is also known as a maidono, a dance pavilion, and seems to have been intended for use like a kagura hall, where sacred music and dance are offered to the deity. It was meant, in other words, as a stage as well as a place to pray.
The Agency also observes that, like the main hall, it keeps its exterior plain, and that it helps make up a modern shrine frontage. Small as it is, this hall at the head of the steps is the public face of the Taisho-era shrine.
What to look for at the Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall
The defining feature of the Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall is that it has no walls. The spaces between the four posts are left open, a raised floor is laid within them, and the hip-and-gable roof sits on top. One look at that open frame explains the name dance pavilion.
Look up and you will see a Gō-tenjō coffered ceiling, a grid of square panels framed by timber ribs. A coffered ceiling in so small an open building suggests it was finished with spectators in mind.
In the gable facing the front is a Kitsure-goshi lattice of closely set vertical and horizontal strips, which gives the plain copper roof a crisp, finished end.
Visiting the Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall
Because the Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall is open on all sides, you can see the ceiling and floor from the top of the steps or from just in front of it. From the same spot the gate and fence line up behind it, which is the best view of how the shrine is arranged.
No published notice says whether visitors may step up onto the floor or whether photography is restricted. People also come here to pray, so leave the front clear for them and lower the camera while they do.
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Q&A
- When was the Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall built?
- In 1915, the same year as the main hall and the gate and fence. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2016.
- Why is the Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall called a dance pavilion?
- It is open between its posts with a raised floor, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs believes it was meant to be used like a kagura hall for sacred dance.
- What kind of ceiling does the Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall have?
- A coffered go-tenjo ceiling. The gable facing the front is filled with a kitsure-goshi lattice.
- How big is the Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall?
- It is one bay on each side, with a building area of 16 m², under a copper-sheet hip-and-gable roof with its gable to the front.
- Can visitors step inside the Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall?
- With no walls, you can see inside from the grounds. Whether you may go up onto the floor, and the rules on photography, could not be confirmed.
Basic Information
| Name | Imamiya Shrine Worship Hall (今宮神社拝殿) |
|---|---|
| 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 | 1 bay by 1 bay; building area 16 m² |
| Owner | Imamiya Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the shrine grounds (floor access and photography not confirmed) |
References
- 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
- 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 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
Last verified: 2026.10.16
