What is the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall?
The Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall (鳥海山大物忌神社吹浦口ノ宮下拝殿) is an 1879 worship hall on the lowest terrace of the shrine in Fukura, Yuza Town, Yamagata Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2012.
Its reading varies by source: the Agency for Cultural Affairs gives shita-haiden, while Tsuruoka City gives ge-haiden. It stands on the right of the approach, making the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall the first registered building you meet at Fukura Kuchinomiya.
The Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall is a single-storey wooden structure with a copper-plate roof covering 220 square meters, the largest of the six registered structures here and roughly twice the size of the Worship Hall above it (116 square meters).
How the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall is built, and why it is registered
The hall measures seven bays by five under an Irimoya-zukuri hip-and-gable roof, with a three-bay Kōhai canopy across the front. The eaves are carried outward on projecting brackets in the technique called segai, which pushes the roof edge well beyond the line of the posts and gives the large roof a deep, heavy overhang.
What the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out is the interior. A section three bays by two at the center rear is raised as an upper platform and finished with a coffered Gō-tenjō ceiling, and a miniature shrine, or kuden, is enshrined in a projection at the back. A worship hall, in other words, with a sanctum built into its rear.
The Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape; the Agency calls it an imposing worship hall with a distinctive interior. With the sanctuary gathered at the top of the steps, this broad roof beside the approach defines the view as you enter the grounds.
What to look for at the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall
Stand on the approach and look at the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall at an angle to appreciate the depth of the eaves. The deep shadow they cast draws a strong horizontal line across the seven-bay front, and the three-bay canopy gives a sense of the building's width.
The Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall holds a votive painting of the Hiawase fire rite donated by Mori Jūrō of Sakata, known by the art name Chikudō. According to Yuza Town, Mori was staying at Yunota hot spring in July 1892 when his innkeeper suggested he watch the rite. Moved by the distant sacred fires, he asked his friend, the painter Katō Sessō, to paint the scene, as the inscription records.
The Hiawase rite is held on July 14, when bonfires are lit at the same moment on the coast, the summit of Mount Chōkai, and Tobishima island. The plaque shows how a Meiji-era visitor experienced it.
Visiting the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall
The Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall stands to the right of the approach, past the first and second torii, so you can view its exterior without climbing any steps. It is the most accessible of the registered buildings at Fukura.
We found no published information on viewing the interior. If you hope to see the raised platform, the coffered ceiling, or the votive painting, contact the shrine in advance; we could not confirm that the painting is on permanent display.
No official guidance on photography was found either; refrain during rites. The steps beyond the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall lead up to the Worship Hall. Directions for the whole shrine are on the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya page.
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Q&A
- When was the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall built?
- In 1879, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2012.
- How is the name of the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall read?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives shita-haiden; Tsuruoka City gives ge-haiden.
- What is special about the interior of the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall?
- A raised platform three bays by two at the center rear has a coffered ceiling, and a miniature shrine is enshrined in a rear projection.
- Is there anything donated to the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall?
- A votive painting of the Hiawase fire rite, given by Mori Jūrō of Sakata and painted by Katō Sessō after Mori watched the rite in 1892.
- Can I see the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall without climbing the steps?
- Yes. It stands beside the approach on the lowest terrace, before the stone steps begin.
Basic Information
| Name | Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall |
|---|---|
| Location | 1 Nunokura, Fukura, Yuza-machi, Akumi-gun, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2012 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey wooden structure, copper-plate roof, building area 220 m² |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine |
| Public Access | Grounds open to worshippers; no published interior access |
References
- Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs database)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009127
- Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Lower Worship Hall (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/248420
- Guide to the Mount Chokai Historic Site, PDF (Yuza Town Board of Education)
- https://www.town.yuza.yamagata.jp/uploads/public/archive_0000003229_00/%E3%80%90PDF%E3%80%91%E5%8F%B2%E8%B7%A1%E9%B3%A5%E6%B5%B7%E5%B1%B1%E6%A1%88%E5%86%85.pdf
- Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya (Tsuruoka City)
- https://www.city.tsuruoka.lg.jp/static/sakai400th/yukarinochi/oomonoimi-f.html
Last verified: 2026.09.16
