The Brewery's Guardian Shrine
The Kojima Sohonten Mikazuki Inari Shrine Main Hall (小嶋総本店三日月稲生社本殿, the name read Mikazuki Inari-sha) is a small 1929 household shrine in the courtyard west of the main house at the Kojima Sohonten sake brewery in Honmachi, Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 6 March 2024. It was moved to its present site in 1974 and carries registration number 06-0219.
Built of timber with a copper roof and a footprint of just 6.9 square metres, it is the smallest of the brewery's twelve registered structures, the sanctuary of the yashikigami, the guardian deity of the house.
It is also the only one of the twelve registered as a model of form. The rest were listed for their part in the townscape; this one was listed for the design of the building itself.
A Full Shrine in Miniature
The Kojima Sohonten Mikazuki Inari Shrine Main Hall is a Hokora with a hip-and-gable Irimoya-zukuri roof and a Kōhai porch roof projecting over the front. It stands on a raised base facing east, with a lattice window at the centre of the front and plank walls in the side bays.
The door is not at the front but on the south side, a single sliding plank door. Inside, the ceiling is a coved coffered Gō-tenjō, a grade of finish that seems generous for a room of this size.
At the back, the altar shelf projects out from the wall under its own small gabled roof. The official description notes the heavy timbers and calls it a plain, sturdy shrine.
What to Look For
Count the roofs: the hip-and-gable main roof, the porch roof in front and the little gable over the altar at the back. Few buildings of 6.9 square metres carry that much roof.
The timbers are thicker than a shrine this small strictly needs, which gives the outline its firmness.
Visiting
The Kojima Sohonten Mikazuki Inari Shrine Main Hall stands in an inner courtyard of the private compound. It is not open for worship or visits, and it is hard to see from the street.
The brewery opens its working areas once a year during the 360° Yonezawa Open Factory, but whether the courtyard shrine is on the route is not stated; check the notice.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamagata
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kojima Sohonten Mikazuki Inari Shrine Main Hall
- [ Yamadera Temple & Zao Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- How do you pronounce Kojima Sohonten Mikazuki Inari Shrine Main Hall in Japanese?
- Kojima Sōhonten Mikazuki Inari-sha Honden. The characters 稲生 are read "inari" here.
- Can visitors pray at the Kojima Sohonten Mikazuki Inari Shrine Main Hall?
- No. It is the private guardian shrine of the brewery household, set in an inner courtyard and not open to the public.
- When was the Kojima Sohonten Mikazuki Inari Shrine Main Hall built?
- In 1929. It was moved to its current position in 1974 and registered on 6 March 2024.
- What are the architectural features of the Kojima Sohonten Mikazuki Inari Shrine Main Hall?
- A copper-roofed hip-and-gable shrine with a front porch roof, a coved coffered ceiling inside and a gabled altar projection at the back, all within 6.9 square metres.
- Is there a sake tour or tasting near the Kojima Sohonten Mikazuki Inari Shrine Main Hall?
- The Honmachi compound where the Kojima Sohonten Mikazuki Inari Shrine Main Hall stands is normally closed, but the brewery's museum, Toko no Sakagura, a few minutes' walk away in Omachi, offers exhibits on sake-making and paid tastings. Check the Kojima Sohonten website for current hours and admission.
Basic Information
| Name | Kojima Sohonten Mikazuki Inari Shrine Main Hall (小嶋総本店三日月稲生社本殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 752 Honmachi 2-chome, Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2024/03/06 (Reiwa 6) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single-storey, copper roof, building area 6.9 square metres |
| Owner | Kojima Sohonten Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Closed (in an inner courtyard of the private compound) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties — 小嶋総本店三日月稲生社本殿
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014725
- Agency for Cultural Affairs press release — Council for Cultural Affairs report on registered buildings, 24 November 2023
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/koho_hodo_oshirase/hodohappyo/93969901.html
- Agency for Cultural Affairs — List of buildings recommended for registration, 24 November 2023 (PDF)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/koho_hodo_oshirase/hodohappyo/pdf/93969901_03.pdf
- Toko / Kojima Sohonten — Access
- https://www.sake-toko.co.jp/access/
- Toko / Kojima Sohonten — 360° Yonezawa Open Factory notice
- https://www.sake-toko.co.jp/news/4592/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
