What is the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence?
The Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence (鳥海山大物忌神社吹浦口ノ宮後神門及び玉垣) is a 1939 gate and fence enclosing the sides and back of the twin main halls on the top terrace of the shrine in Fukura, Yuza Town, Yamagata Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2012.
The Japanese name reads ushiro-shinmon oyobi tamagaki. The tamagaki, a sacred fence, starts beside the Main Hall and the Tsukiyama Shrine Main Hall and wraps around behind them for a total length of 51 meters. The rear gate opens at the center of the back section, and the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence is registered as a single property covering both.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs classifies it as a structure other than a building. The gate is wooden with a copper-plate roof and is 2.4 meters wide; the fence is also wooden, capped in copper.
How the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence is built, and why it is registered
The rear gate is a one-bay udegimon, a gate whose roof rests on arms projecting from the tops of the posts. Here the square posts are tied by tie beams, boat-shaped bracket blocks sit on top, and the arms they carry push the purlins outward. The roof is gabled Kirizuma-zukuri in copper, with a single layer of widely spaced rafters. Paneled double doors hang in the opening, and a band of horizontal lattice above the tie beam is the only ornament.
The udegimon is one of the plainest gate types in Japanese carpentry, and the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence follows the pattern closely.
The Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency notes that the fence surrounds the main halls on three sides and, with the rear gate, marks out the sacred ground. The front side is closed by the Middle Gate and corridors, built the same year, so the two registered properties together define the edge of the sanctuary.
What to look for at the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence
The Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence is found behind the main halls. Yuza Town notes that the shrine has a rear approach leading to the sanctuary, separate from the main flight of steps, and the rear gate opens on that side.
In May, fringed irises called shaga bloom quietly along that rear path. The town guide links them to Kagami Shikō, a disciple of the poet Bashō, who worshipped at Fukura in 1692 and left a haiku mentioning shaga blossoms. Walking around the back of the sanctuary in flowering season shows a side of the shrine that the front view does not.
Look at the fence itself, too. At 51 meters, the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence was sized to wrap both halls at once, and inside it the two one-bay sanctuaries look all the more compact.
Visiting the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence
The area inside the fence is sacred ground and cannot be entered; the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence is viewed from outside.
The rear gate is hard to see from the front, where the worship hall and Middle Gate block the view, so use the paths that lead along the side or back of the sanctuary. Some sections can be slippery after rain.
No official guidance on photography was found; refrain during rites and ask at the amulet counter if unsure. Directions and counter hours are on the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya page.
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Q&A
- What is the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence?
- A wooden sacred fence, 51 meters in total, around the sides and back of the twin main halls, plus a 2.4-meter-wide arm-supported gate at the center of the back. Both date from 1939.
- Can the rear gate of the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence be seen from the front?
- Not easily; the worship hall and Middle Gate block the view. Walk around the side or back of the sanctuary.
- Can I go inside the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence?
- No. The area within the fence is the sacred ground of the main halls.
- When is a good time to see the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence?
- In May, when shaga irises flower beside the rear path to the sanctuary, according to Yuza Town.
- Why is the Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2012 for its contribution to the historic landscape, as the fence and gate that define the sacred area around the main halls.
Basic Information
| Name | Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence |
|---|---|
| Location | 1 Nunokura, Fukura, Yuza-machi, Akumi-gun, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2012 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Rear gate: wooden, copper-plate roof, 2.4 m wide / Fence: wooden, copper-plate roof, 51 m in total length |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine |
| Public Access | Grounds open to worshippers; area inside the fence not open |
References
- Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence (Agency for Cultural Affairs database)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009125
- Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine Fukura Kuchinomiya Rear Gate and Tamagaki Fence (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/199458
- 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
- Guide to the Mount Chokai Historic Site (Yuza Town)
- https://www.town.yuza.yamagata.jp/archive/p20250526170154
Last verified: 2026.09.16
