A Postwar Shrine of Refined Design
The Hofu Tenmangu Shrine Main Hall, Offering Hall and Worship Hall (防府天満宮本殿・幣殿・拝殿) is a connected group of shrine halls of 1958 in Matsuzakicho, Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on January 8, 2009 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building roofed in copper, with a building area of 211 square metres; registration number 35-0067.
Halls Joined by an Offering Hall
The Hofu Tenmangu Shrine Main Hall, Offering Hall and Worship Hall is a connected group in which a hip-and-gable main hall and worship hall are joined by an offering hall with a simple gabled roof, facing south (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
A veranda with a railing runs round the whole, the round posts carry large bearing blocks with brackets, and the eaves have two tiers of closely spaced rafters (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The main hall is 3 bays wide with a single room inside and double board doors in the middle of its front and back.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency calls it a good example of modern shrine architecture, delicate and elegant in design, and registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the way the halls are linked by the offering hall, the railed veranda and the bearing blocks on the round posts (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The halls are owned by Hofu Tenmangu Shrine (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting hours was found.
Q&A
- When were the halls built?
- In 1958 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How are the halls arranged?
- A hip-and-gable main hall and worship hall joined by a gabled offering hall.
- What should I look for?
- The railed veranda and the bearing blocks on the round posts.
- Where is Hofu Tenmangu?
- In Matsuzakicho, Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
- When was the Hofu Tenmangu Shrine Main Hall, Offering Hall and Worship Hall registered?
- On January 8, 2009 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Hofu Tenmangu Shrine Main Hall, Offering Hall and Worship Hall (防府天満宮本殿・幣殿・拝殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 69 Matsuzakicho, Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/01/08 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, copper roof, 211 m² |
| Owner | Hofu Tenmangu Shrine, a religious corporation |
| Public Access | Visiting hours not confirmed |
References
- Hofu Tenmangu Shrine Main Hall, Offering Hall and Worship Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007593
Last verified: 2026.10.19