What the Building Is
Kayashima Shrine Kagura Hall is a sacred dance stage of 1900 in Hiezu, Tottori Prefecture, listed as Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 November 2018. Timber, single storey, copper roof, 63 square metres.
It stands ahead of the worship hall on the east side of the approach, facing east. Old and new are divided within the one structure: the stage and its anteroom, four and a half bays at the east end under an irimoya roof, are original, while the two bays at the west end under a gabled roof, serving as entrance and store, were added in 1976.
The stage measures 12 and a half tatami mats. Verandas with railings run along two faces, one towards the approach and one towards the sanctuary, and the ceiling is coffered. That double frontage is the point of a kagura stage: the dance is offered to the deity and shown to the people at once.
Why It Was Listed
The registration number is 31-0261. The Agency for Cultural Affairs groups Kayashima Shrine Kagura Hall with the Zuishin Gate and the Treasury as part of a modern frontage built for the precinct.
Across the approach, the Treasury faces it from the west, and the gate stands just in front of both. All three went up in 1900 and were meant to work together, shaping the first half of the precinct as a single piece. Their value lies less in each building than in what the three make along the path.
The stage is used on festival days. The annual festival at Kayashima Shrine falls on 11 October and the spring festival on 11 April. A building put up for a handful of days a year, and given a coffered ceiling at that, says something about the standing of a shrine that served twenty-nine villages.
What to Look For
The roof shows where the addition begins. The original east portion is hipped and gabled; the 1976 west portion is plain gabled, and the ridge height and the line of the eaves both change at the join. From the approach the two roofs read as overlapping planes, one set behind the other.
Verandas run on two sides of the stage at Kayashima Shrine Kagura Hall and not on the other two, so the dance is presented along an east-west axis. Standing at the railing and facing the sanctuary, the roof of the main hall comes into view past the flank of the worship hall.
Twelve and a half mats is easy enough to judge by tracing the length of the veranda from the path. Through the opening at the front, the grid of the coffered ceiling can be made out towards the back.
Visiting
The interior of Kayashima Shrine Kagura Hall is closed and the stage cannot be stepped onto. Viewing is from outside the veranda. Standing on the west side of the approach, near the front of the Treasury, puts the east-facing stage squarely in front of you.
The hall comes into use for the festivals on 11 October and 11 April. Dates can move, so confirm with the shrine office on 0859-27-2518 if you are travelling for one.
Photographing the exterior is not normally an issue; check with the office before photographing during a rite or using a tripod. Directions and the conditions of entry for the precinct are set out on the Kayashima Shrine page.
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Q&A
- When is Kayashima Shrine Kagura Hall used?
- On the annual festival of 11 October and the spring festival of 11 April. Dates can change, so check with the shrine office on 0859-27-2518 if you plan to attend.
- When was Kayashima Shrine Kagura Hall built?
- In 1900. The two bays at the west end, used as entrance and store, were added in 1976; the original part is the stage and anteroom at the east end.
- Can I go up onto the stage?
- No. The interior is closed, so viewing is from outside the veranda. The precinct itself is open.
- How large is the stage?
- Twelve and a half tatami mats, within a building of 63 square metres. Railed verandas run along the approach side and the sanctuary side.
- How can I tell which part was added later?
- By the roof. The original east end is hipped and gabled, the later west end plain gabled, and both the ridge height and the eaves change at the join.
Basic Information
| Name | Kayashima Shrine Kagura Hall |
|---|---|
| Location | 354 Hiyoshizu, Hiezu Village, Saihaku District, Tottori Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/11/2 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Floor area 63 square metres |
| Owner | Kayashima Shrine (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Precinct open; building interior closed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Kayashima Shrine Kagura Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012627
- Hiezu Village: About Kayashima Shrine
- https://www.hiezu.jp/list/kyouiku/e123/y114/a171/
- Hiezu Village: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Kayashima Shrine
- https://www.hiezu.jp/list/kyouiku/e123/y114/
- Tottori Prefecture Cultural Property Navigator: Kayashima Shrine
- https://db.pref.tottori.jp/bunkazainavi.nsf/bunkazai_web_view/BB16958A323A90D94925837F002C3D1C
Last verified: 2026.09.17
