Kachimi Shrine Main Hall

About the Kachimi Shrine Main Hall

The Kachimi Shrine Main Hall (加知彌神社本殿, Kachimi Jinja Honden) is the sanctuary of Kachimi Shrine in Terauchi, Shikano-cho, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture; it was built in 1830 and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 6, 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a copper-plate roof (Dōban-buki) and a building area of 49 square metres; registration number 31-0287. It was renovated in 1963 and stands in the middle of the precinct, facing east.

According to the Tottori Association of Shinto Shrines, the earlier main hall was a hip-and-gable building (Irimoya-zukuri) 3 bays square. The rebuilding of 1830 changed the roof form and produced the present hall, which the association describes as being in the manner of taisha-zukuri. A door from the old hall bearing an ink inscription by the daimyo Kamei Korenori survives among the shrine's treasures.

A Gable-Entry Sanctuary with a Wide Kara-hafu Porch

The Kachimi Shrine Main Hall measures 3 bays by 3 bays (Ketayuki and Harima). Its gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) is entered from the gable end (Tsumairi), and in front of the inner and outer sanctums (Naijin, Gejin) a further bay is left open, without walls (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

From the front projects a 1-bay porch (Kōhai) with unusually wide column spacing, roofed with a curved kara-hafu gable. Carving is concentrated around the porch, and the rest of the hall is kept plain (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Gable-end entry under a gabled roof is also the basic form of Taisha-zukuri, the style best known from Izumo Taisha in neighbouring Shimane. The Kachimi Shrine hall adds an open front bay and a kara-hafu porch to that frame.

Why It Was Registered

The hall was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency notes that, although ornament is restrained throughout, the hall is large in scale and has a presence of its own.

The worship hall and Zuishinmon gate of Kachimi Shrine were registered on the same day. The Agency writes that the worship hall of 1921, with its oversized kara-hafu porch, echoes the form of the main hall; the porch of the main hall sets the pattern for the front of the precinct.

What to Look For

At the front of the Kachimi Shrine Main Hall, the curve of the kara-hafu sits beneath the triangle of the gable, and the carving is gathered on the porch. The contrast with the plain walls and roof is the point to notice.

The hall stands just west of the worship hall, so its porch faces the back of that building. From the side you can best read the depth of 3 bays, including the open front bay, and the long gable-entry roof.

Visiting

The Kachimi Shrine Main Hall stands in the middle of the grounds and is seen from outside. No official information on access to the interior was found (checked October 31, 2026). Directions and general visiting information are on the Kachimi Shrine page.