What the Building Is
Kayashima Shrine Toyouke Shrine is a subsidiary hall of about 1868 in Hiezu, Tottori Prefecture, listed as Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 November 2018. At 5.4 square metres it is the smallest of the eight listed buildings in the precinct.
It stands at the back of the precinct, west of the sanctuary, facing south. The form is a three-bay nagare-zukuri hall of the misedana type, which sets a shelf beneath the floor and has no steps, since it is not built for anyone to climb into. Widely spaced rafters carry the eaves front and back.
The detailing is anything but casual. The gable holds a curved beam with a bottle-shaped strut, and a turnip-shaped pendant hangs at the apex of the barge boards. An arched tie beam joins the porch to the body of the hall, and the outer porch posts are linked by a curved head tie. Repairs were carried out in 1976.
Why It Was Listed
The registration number is 31-0263. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a subsidiary hall of well-composed design, part of a traditional precinct space.
The three buildings along the approach give the shrine its modern frontage of 1900. Behind the sanctuary, Kayashima Shrine Toyouke Shrine and its counterpart to the east keep to older conventions in both scale and form. The precinct changes character between its front half and its back, and this hall belongs to the second.
According to the Tottori Prefecture Association of Shinto Shrines, six subsidiary halls holding ten deities were merged into the precinct in the early Meiji years. Toyouke-hime no Mikoto, the deity of food enshrined at the Outer Shrine of Ise, heads their list. A construction date of about 1868, the same period as the sanctuary, falls in with that merger.
What to Look For
Small as it is, Kayashima Shrine Toyouke Shrine is detailed like a full-sized hall. The arched tie beam between the porch post and the body curves like the back of a prawn, which is what its Japanese name says, and finding such a member in a building of 5.4 square metres is the point of looking closely.
The underfloor explains the name of the type. Boards project forward as a shelf, and offerings are set there. With no steps, the eye stops at the floor line when you face the hall squarely.
Tenjin Shrine stands on the other side of the sanctuary. The official description records the two as identical in scale and form down to the last detail. Walk east afterwards and compare them from the same distance; the intention behind the pair reads clearly.
Visiting
Kayashima Shrine Toyouke Shrine is a small subsidiary hall and is closed internally. It was never built to be entered, so viewing means looking up at it from the front.
Walking to the ground behind and west of the sanctuary brings it square on. The same spot is a good one for the flank of the sanctuary, and both fit in a single view. Much of the detail sits below eye level, so crouching brings out the shape of the arched beam and the pendant.
Photographing the exterior is not normally an issue; ask at the shrine office on 0859-27-2518 about tripods or photography during rites. Directions and the conditions of entry for the precinct are set out on the Kayashima Shrine page.
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Q&A
- Where is Kayashima Shrine Toyouke Shrine?
- At the back of the precinct, on the west side of the sanctuary, facing south. Tenjin Shrine, of the same form, stands on the east side.
- How big is it?
- 5.4 square metres, the smallest of the eight listed buildings. The sanctuary, at 39 square metres, is roughly seven times its size.
- What is the misedana type?
- A small hall with a shelf built beneath the floor and no steps. Offerings are placed on the shelf, and Kayashima Shrine Toyouke Shrine follows this form.
- When was it built?
- About 1868, with repairs in 1976, which places it in the same period as the sanctuary.
- Can it be told apart from Tenjin Shrine?
- Not really, by the buildings alone. The official description records them as identical in scale and form. Go by position: west of the sanctuary is Toyouke, east is Tenjin.
Basic Information
| Name | Kayashima Shrine Toyouke Shrine |
|---|---|
| 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 5.4 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 Toyouke Shrine
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012629
- 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
