Japanese Shrine Architecture

Overview of Japanese Shrine Architecture
Japanese shrine architecture refers to the architecture associated with shrine, or Shinto shrine. It is also called shaden (shrine pavillions) architecture.

Structures of shrine typically seen today consist of Honden (main sanctuary hall), Heiden (offering hall), and Haiden (worship hall). When you visit a shrine, you see the worship hall Haiden building situated on the same axis as the main sanctuary Honden toward the front with a saisen (offertory) box being placed at the front. Haiden is a place where ceremonies like purification rites or prayer services are held.

The Honden, a main sanctuary hall which is located in the rear of the Haiden, contains shintai, or an object believed to contain the spirit of a deity. The Haiden is considered to be the main building to see, by most visitors, because Honden is situated at the rear of the shrine building complex. As for architectural styles, nagare-zukuri and kasuga-zukuri are the most typical; in some cases, an oiya, or a covering roof is constructed over a small-sized Honden as a protection from the elements.

A Heiden is typically built between the Haiden and Honden on the same axis; it is not uncommon for these buildings to be joinder. If you walk to the side of the building, you'll see the Heiden and Honden at the rear of Haiden.

As the Honden is regarded as the sacred place where a spirit of kami or deity dwells, it is often enclosed by wooden fences, or protected by the oiya structure built over it, keeping the Honden from being seen by public during ordinary times. In some shrines, a Haiden is located directly at the front of shintai, or objects believed to contain the spirit of the deity, instead of having a Honden in the middle, such as in Omiwa Shrine and Kanasana Shrine. It is considered that shrines without shaden or pavillions are of a more archaic style.

Architecture of shrine is believed to have emerged under the influence of ji-in, or Buddhist pagoda, reviving ancient architecture, and in the course of subsequent developments, design elements of Buddhist nature were considered to be intentionally eliminated. Shrine architecture is characterized by a strong emphasis on form. The major Shinto shrines including those designated as Ichinomiya shrines adopted and retained distinctive architecture, contributing to the preservation of unique traditional styles. Understanding architectural style of a shrine gives important clues about the characteristics of saishin, or the deity of a shrine. A shrine is often built in a style based upon the roots of a particular shrine from when it was first established

Honden: a pavillion which houses shintai, or objects believed to contain the spirit of kami. Honden is not intended to be built for people to enter and stay inside; therefore, it tends to be smaller than Haiden. It used to be that only one deity was enshrined in one pavillion; today, it is not uncommon to have many deities enshrined in one pavillion. A Honden may house Goshintai, which is an object of worship believed to contain the spirit of a deity (e. g. , a mirror).

Haiden: a pavillion for worship and prayer. The building which visitors typically see when they visit a shrine is the Haiden. In most cases, worship takes place by clapping hands at the front of Haiden; in some cases, such as for purification ceremonies, people may enter the Haiden building. It is also a place for Shinto priests and priestesses to sit during worship. Haiden is typically built larger than Honden and have raised floors of timber; in some cases, however, the center of the building has earthen floors with vaulted ceilings, a structure called wari-Haiden, to allow people to pass through. A well known example can be found in Sakurai Shrine, Sakai City, which is designated as a national treasure. In some shrines, Haiden serves also as a place for mai-den or kagura-den, a place for floor dancing performance, or shamusho, a shrine office. Some shrines including Kasuga-taisha Shrine and Ise-jingu Shrine do not have Haiden; others including Fushimi Inari-taisha and Meiji-jingu Shrine have two Haiden halls. When there are two Haiden halls, the one toward you is called ge-Haiden, or outer Haiden, and the one at the back nai-Haiden, or inner Haiden. There may be waniguchi, or a medal shape steel drum, or suzu, a bell with a cord.

Heiden: a pavillion for having ceremonies and presenting offerings made of paper or silk cuttings, called heihaku. In some shrines, Heiden is built as an independent structure; more commonly, however, Heiden shares the building structure with Haiden. Some shrines do not have a Heiden structure.

Heiden may have additional features including: kaguraden, or kagura hall, chozubachi, a basin for water to purify before entering a shrine, toro, a lantern, and komainu, guardian dogs.

Characteristics of Japanese Shrine Architecture of "Honden"
The following characteristics have been pointed out as features of Honden architecture:

1. Gabled roofs

2. Highly raised timbered floors

3. Absence of tile used for roofing

4. Absence of earthen walls

5. Simple and not decorative

Having tsuma, or a gable pediment, at each end of the roof, is a feature of kirizuma-zukuri, or gable style, which is the dominant style of shrine architecture with the other style being irimoya-zukuri, a gabled hipped roof style. Irimoya-zukuri is derived from Buddhist style of construction. As can be seen from the lack of non-gabled styles such as yosemune-zukuri or hougyo-zukuri, the irimoya-zukuri is considered to have been willingly adopted as an architectural style maintaining the values of Shinto shrine architecture, over passively influenced Buddhist styles.

Whereas the meaning of gabled roof in shrine architecture is not clear; there seems to be little doubt that it was of great religious significance. The religious importance is evident, for instance, in the hardware parts of tsuma, or gabled pediment, which are specially treated, and mounting them during periodical occasions when moving shintai to a new shrine was carried out as a secret ceremony at the Shoden of Ise Jingu, and in nagare-zukuri pavillions jointed side by side in rows, each pavillion has chidori-hafu, a dormer bargeboard at the front side to differentiate the pavillions from each other.

A highly raised floor presents a sharp contrast to doma, or earthen floor, a basic element of Buddhist architecture.

However, some ancient shrines, like sumiyoshi-zukuri structures, have earthen instead of timbered floors.

It is considered that tile roofing was not used appropriately to distinguish Shinto architecture itself from Buddhist architecture, or even to avoid it. In principle, roofing material in shrine construction is wood (wood strip roofing or cedar bark roofing); later on, in the modern era, copper sheeting became a material of choice. However, there are exceptions to the rule in Honden roofing; in Okinawa, for instance, shrine buildings are commonly roofed with traditional red tiles. Similarly, earthen walls are not used.

Simplicity in decoration can be interpreted as a result of shrines preserving the styles of ancient Japanese architecture. Traditional Japanese design elements were incorporated to distinguish itself from Buddhist architecture because a shrine is a place for Japanese deities.

These characteristics however do not always apply to all structures of shrine architecture, which also changes from time to time.

Origin of Honden
There were no shaden, or pavillion structures in the ancient days. Kami or deities were believed to dwell not in shaden, but in mountains and forest, and not in any single, definite location. Kami were believed to visit specific rocks and trees with special shapes, and therefore worship to kami was conducted at such places. These places are called iwasaka or iwakura, both of which refer to an area a deity sits, and are found all over Japan. Deities, however, were not believed to live there; rather, deities were invited to the place only when worship took place.

Later, people started to set up temporary alters at ceremony sites. The alters are considered to be so called himorogi. Himorogi were placed above the worship site at the time of the ritual. Later, himorogi is considered to have developed into a substantial structure and subsequently became shaden, a shrine pavillion.

It is the process of a temporary alter developing into a permanent structure called shaden and then the existing construction style was later incorporated into the pavillion structure. However, there are probably inconsistencies between the beginning date of an architecture style and the beginning date that particular style started to be used for shrine construction. This is because it is likely that traditional techniques and styles, which were archaic in those days, were adopted in a revivalist manner when the pavillions were built as shrines. Furthermore, the time pavillion construction emerged saw a culmination of Buddhism architecture, suggesting that it is likely that pavillion construction may have been affected by Buddhist architectural styles. The idea of an architectural structure being the object of worship per se may have originated in Buddhist influence.

It is considered that construction of the jinguji affected the establishment of shrine architecture. Jinguji are temples which were built within a shrine; it emerged at an early phase of the syncretic process of Shinto and Buddhism. After jinguji temples had started being built, Shinto Shrines were exposed to the influence of Buddhist architecture; however, having been built side by side, differentiation of shrine and Buddhist architecture from each other became rather desirable.

Origin of Haiden
Establishment of Haiden postdates that of Honden. Today there are many old shrines that do not have a Haiden, such as Ise Jingu, Kasuga Taisha, Usa Jingu, and Matsuo Taisha.

Haiden is now a place for ceremonies for kami that are worshiped at a specific shrine; however, originally, the ceremonies were performed outdoors. Honden, which was originated as an alter, used to be an object of ceremonies instead of a place for having ceremonies. Prior to the establishment of Haiden, shrine ceremonies were held at outdoor ceremonial places in the front of a Honden. Priests and priestesses were seated on the left and right sides of the ceremonial place, from which they moved to the center of the place to perform a ceremony.

Later on, when ceremonies began taking place indoors, the central part of the ceremonial place became Haiden; the places which used to be the seats for priests and priestesses became kairou or corridors. A two-storied gate or romon was built at the entrance of a corridor.

As we have seen, the original forms of ceremonies were developed into the structures of romon, corridor, and Heiden; on the other hand, a small size shrine, which was not big enough to have all the sections, subsequently consolidated all the features into a single pavillion. This is Haiden. Haiden was therefore established by squeezing together all the functions of romon, corridor, and Heiden.

Types of Classic Shrine Architecture of Honden
Classic shrine architecture (Honden) can be categorized as follows:

1. Structures that have sills under posts.

2. Structures that have shin-no-mihashira, or non-structural symbolic post.

3. Structures that have two divided rooms.

The first type of structures with sills under posts is represented by nagare-zukuri and kasuga-zukuri architectural styles. In this type of structure, a timber grid is formed on the bottom of the pavillion, on top of which posts are placed, instead of placing posts directly onto the ground or building a foundation with stone. The structure assumes the pavillion to be mobile; which is considered to be a trace of ceremonies practiced in ancient times when a pavillion was placed only at the time of ceremony and the rest of the time it was not set up. It has been suggested that a temporary alter in ancient times called himorogi was developed into a permanent pavillion structure.

Both in the nagarezukuri and kasugazukuri styles, the space under the floor is surrounded by a wall. Generally, the feature which is common in shrine architecture is the idea that the point of connection between the pavillion and the ground is sacred. In other words, the sacredness of a pavillion stems from the place where it is located. This supports the view that pavillions originate in himorogi, in which a temporary alter was placed in a sacred area or on the large rock to invite kami to descend.

Misedana-zukuri, a small pavillion style, which is characterized by the absence of steps that are present in nagare-zukuri and kasuga-zukuri, and by the presence of a shelf instead; the misedana-zukuri probably is closer to the original form of shrine architecture rather than being a simplified version of a normal size shrine building.

As we have seen, the origin of these styles go back to ancient times, and the structure having sills under the posts are considered to be one of the oldest shrine architectural forms.

Structures that have shin-no-mihashira, or non-structural symbolic post are shinmei-zukuri style and taisha-zukuri style. These styles are characterized by having hottate-bashira, or earthfast posts, such as shin-no-mihashira and munamochi-bashira. Shin-no-mihashira, which is in the center of a pavillion structure, is a non-structural post, and is considered to have been yorishiro, an object originally capable of attracting kami. In shinmei-zukuri, shin-no-mihashira is completely separated from the body of the structure. Munamochi-bashira is a post which directly supports the ridge, unlike other posts that support the beam in the main part of the building.

All the posts, including munamochi-bashira, are hottate-bashira, which are erected by excavating a posthole to insert and secure the post without using any foundation stones. (Note: Today's Izumo-taisha Shrine is built on a sill. )Hottate-bashira was used in structures throughout history since prehistoric times when it was used in primitive dwellings.

Structures that are divided into two buildings are sumiyosi-zukuri and hachiman-zukuri styles. In both styles, the Honden structure consists of two buildings, one in front of the other. Sumiyosi-zukuri differs from hachiman-zukuri in that in the former, the building situated in the back has kamiza, or a place for the deity, and in the latter, the front and back buildings have daytime and nighttime places for the deity, respectively; however, sumiyoshi-zukuri and hachiman-zukuri share a commonality in that the two buildings were not developed from one building. It is considered that these styles include otori-zukuri style structures and daijo-gu, a temporary shrine prepared at the palace for Daijo-sai festival, which is held only once in an emperor's lifetime after his succession, or his first "niiname-sai. "

Architectural styles of Honden
There are various architectural styles for shrines; shinmei-zukuri, taisha-zukuri, and sumiyosi-zukuri are considered to be the oldest. The styles commonly seen in general shrines are nagare-zukuri, followed by kasuga-zukuri. While there are varieties of architectural style names, each shrine has a distinctive style, which creates a huge number of styles, thus making the classification rather meaningless; shrine architecture is therefore simply classified by the various forms of the roof. The architectural styles for shrines should be treated separately from the complex styles of shrine pavillions.

Overview of Shinmei-zukuri
The shinmei-zukuri style is a style of shrine buildings in Japan.

It is said that the shinmei-zukuri style, represented by the Ise-jingu Shrine building, is one of the oldest styles of shrine architecture, together with the taisha-zukuri style, represented by the Izumo-taisha shrine building, and the Sumiyoshi-zukuri style, represented by the Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine building. It is considered that the taisha-zukuri style imitated palaces that had nearly square shapes, and the sumiyoshi-zukuri style is close to the style of the building where the Daijosai (first ceremonial offering of rice by newly-enthroned Emperor) is held. However, it is believed that the shinmei-zukuri style, with its width longer than its depth, developed from takayukashiki-soko (warehouses on stilts) and changed so that the building became more used for keeping shinpo (sacred treasures) than storing grain.

The style of each main hall of the two shrines of Kotai-jingu Shrine and Toyouke Dai-jingu Shrine in Ise has not been used in any other shrines, because of concerns surrounding using the exact same style. Therefore, the style of these halls is called yuiitsu-shinmei-zukuri style (literally, the sole shinmei-zukuri style) in particular.

The Structure
The shinmei-zukuri style uses hottate bashira (earthfast posts), has a kirizuma-zukuri style roof (an architectural style with a gabled roof) and hira-iri (the style of buildings which have the entrance on the long side of the buildings). Except the cylindrical pillars and Katsuogi (ornamental logs arranged perpendicular to the ridge of a Shinto shrine), the external view is almost completely made up of straight edges due to its flat construction. This is in contrast to taisha-zukuri style which has graceful curves.

The Roof
The roof is limited to thatch in most cases, but can also include shingle roofs and copper roofs. Shingle roofs are used in almost all of the sessha (auxiliary shrines dedicated to a deity connected to that of the main shrine), subordinate shrines and the other minor shrines of Ise-jingu Shrine, and Atsuta-jingu Shrine has a copper roof. When Buddhism was brought to Japan and came to be practiced widely, temple buildings were called Kawara-yane (tiled roofs). For this reason tiled roofs are rarely used in shrine buildings.

Because less endurable thatch or shingles are used for the roof, the angle of the roof is made steep so that rain and snow falls down the roof more easily. It is also necessary to make the eaves longer, because a kirizuma-style roof is used. The top part of the roof is covered with boards, and is reinforced with Katsuogi.

The gables supporting the roof do not terminate where they meet, but protrude, forming chigi.

Decorative metal fittings are sometimes attached to Chigi and Kastsuogi to enhance their resistance to weather.

For Chigi and Kastsuogi, refer to Chigi and Katsuogi.

The Pillars
The shinmei-zukuri style building is basically horizontally symmetrical, with an even number of pillars on either side. The pillars are earthfast, and neither base stones nor mud bases are used between the pillars and the surface of the ground.

The pillars at the center of each side, a little outside of the wall, and reaching the ridge are called Munamochi-bashira (literally, ridge-supporting pillar). Strong thick wood is usually used for the Munamochi-bashira, but this pillar actually contributes little to the strength of the building.

A pillar called Shinnomihashira is located at the center of the shrine building, but this pillar contributes little to the strength of the building either.

The Walls
Only boards of a sufficient strength are used for the walls of shinmei-zukuri style buildings. There is a single opening with hinged double doors, called Otobira, at the center of the front side. The Otobira is usually cut directly from a tree, and therefore an old tree of considerable size is required for a large-scale shrine building. It is said that a Japanese cypress of 400 years or more would be necessary for the main hall of Kotai-jingu Shrine.

The Floors
Shinmei-zukuri buildings have floors raised from the ground, with importance placed on ventilation, and this is considered to be a vestige of the design of takayukashiki-soko (warehouse on stilts). Accordingly, these building usually have a comparatively long set of steps.

History of The Shinmei-zukuri Style
The history of this architectural style is long, but its exact beginnings are unknown. The layout of pillars in remains from the Yayoi Period is similar to that of the shinmei-zukuri style buildings, and so it is considered that the shinmei-zukuri style developed out of takayukashiki-soko in this period.

In the Edo Period and before, only a few shrines, including the following, were built in the shinmei-zukuri style: Ise-jingu Shrine, Nishina-shinmeigu Shrine, which was under the control of a Shinto priest of Shinano Province (present day Nagano Prefecture), and Kono-jinja Shrine in Tango Province (present day Kyoto Prefecture). However, from the Meiji Period shinmei-zukuri style has been adopted widely for shrine buildings in time of sengu (transfer of a deity to a new shrine building), due to, for example, enshrining multiple gods collectively, thus increasing the number of shinmei-zukuri style shrine buildings. The Atsuta shrine building was built in shinmei-zukuri style for the first time in the sengu in the Meiji Period.

Overview of Taisha-zukuri
The taisha-zukuri style is a style of shrine buildings in Japan.

It is considered that the taisha-zukuri style, represented by the Izumo-oyashiro Shrine building, is one of the oldest styles of shrine architecture, together with the shinmei-zukuri style, represented by the Ise-jingu shrine building, and the Sumiyoshi-zukuri style, represented by the Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine buiｌding.

In the shinmei-zukuri style buildings have a rectangular shape with its width longer than the depth, and the style is thought to have been developed from takayukashiki-soko (warehouses on stilts) and changed so that the building became more fitted for keeping shinpo (sacred treasures) than storing grain, and the sumiyoshi-zukuri style is close to the style of the building where Daijosai (the first ceremonial offering of rice by newly-enthroned Emperor) is held. Conversely, taisha-zukuri style buildings use the shape of the Chinese character 田, which is square and close to that of traditional Japanese houses, and accordingly it is considered that shrine buildings using this style developed from palaces that had been used for religious services. According to a theory, the reason is because Mount Yakumo behind Izumo-oyashiro Shrine was a shintai (an object of worship that was believed to contain the spirit of a deity).

Nothing is known about the shrine building of Izumo-oyashiro Shrine prior to the Kamakura Period as no records remain. Therefore, it is said that the present shrine building built in 1744 constitutes its basic form.

The honden of Mizuwakasu-jinja Shrine located in Kori, Okinoshima Town, Oki County, Shimane Prefecture, is sometimes classified as a taisha-zukuri style building, yet is sometimes referred to as an Oki-zukuri style building.

The Structure
A taisha-zukuri style building uses hottate bashira (earthfast posts), elements of the kirizuma-zukuri style (an architectural style with a gabled roof) and tsuma-iri (the style of building which has the entrance on its shorter side), and has a roof with graceful curved lines. This is the point most different from the shinmei-zukuri style and Sumiyoshi-zukuri style whose external view gives an impression of being straight.

The Roof
Thatch had been used for the roof since ancient times, but this changed during the Edo Period, and hiwadabuki (a cypress bark roof) was used for the Izumo-oyashiro Shrine building. When Buddhism was brought to Japan and became widely practiced, temple buildings were called Kawara-yane (tiled roofs). Therefore, the use of tiled roofs in shrine buildings was seen as being wrong.

The hafu (bargeboard) supporting the roof on the side is shaped in a graceful curved line decorated with a gegyo (decorative wooden board used to cover the ridge and purlin ends on a roof gable). It is considered that this was influenced by continental Chinese culture and which has been later modified.

Because less endurable thatch or shingles are used for the roof, the angle of the roof is made steep so that rain and snow falls down the roof more easily. It is also necessary to make the eaves longer, because a kirizuma-style roof is used. Chigi (ornamental crossbeams on the gable of a Shinto shrine) and Katsuogi (ornamental logs arranged perpendicular to the ridge of a Shinto shrine) are used for decorative purposes.

The Pillars
From ancient times the pillars were earthfast, and neither base stones nor mud bases were used between the pillars and the surface of the ground. However, at the Izumo-oyashiro Shrine building constructed in 1744, each pillar is placed on a base stone to increase its durability level.

A large core pillar is placed at the center of the shrine building which forms the shape of the Chinese character 田, supporting the taruki (rafters).

The pillar that is placed at the center of each tsuma side, a little outside of the wall, and that reaches the ridge is called the Uzu-bashira pillar. It is thought that an Uzu-bashira pillar is used in order to augment the strength of the large core pillar.

The Walls
The boards that are used for making the walls are placed horizontally in the shinmei-zukuri style, and vertically in the taisha-zukuri sｔyle. There is a single opening to the right of the center on the tsuma side.

The Floors
Sixty tatami mats are laid in the shrine building of the Izumo-oyashiro Shrine built in 1744, but it is not known when they were laid. The floors are considerably raised and a long set of steps is needed as in the shinmei-zukuri style.

History of The Taisha-zukuri style
The history of this architectural style is long, but its exact beginnings are unknown. The layout of pillars in remains from the Yayoi Period is similar to that of taisha-zukuri style buildings, and so it is considered that the taisha-zukuri style developed out of takayukashiki-soko (raised-floor houses).

The height of the Izumo-oyashiro Shrine building, constructed in 1744, is considerably high, at 24 m. The previous shrine building was larger, and it is said that the building collapsed seven times during the 200 years between the middle of the Heian Period and the early Kamakura period. Around the time of the collapse on August 11, 1032, there are no records indicating that an earthquake occurred or that a strong wind blew on that day. Therefore, it is believed the building collapsed under its own weight.

Many shｒine buidings in the taisha-zukuri style are found in the Sanin region. However, the taisha-zukuri style was not adopted for some shrine buildings built in or after the Meiji Period, such as Nawa-jinja Shrine.

Of the shrine buildings in the taisha-zukuri style remaining in the 21st century, Kamosu-jinja Shrine located in Oba-cho, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture in the Sanin region, was built in 1346 in the Muromachi Period and is the oldest. The honden (main hall) of Kamosu-jinja Shrine was designated a national treasure in March 1952, because it is the oldest building constructed based on the ancient original rules of the taisha-zukuri style.

Overview of Sumiyoshi-zukuri
Sumiyoshi-zukuri style is one of the architectural styles of shrines in Japan.

Sumiyoshi-zukuri style, which is typified by Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine, is characterized by its ancient linear hafu (a barge board), and many have pointed out its resemblance to the building constructed in the Daijo-sai festival (a festival to celebrate the succession of an emperor). It is one of the oldest architectural styles of shrines, along with shinmei-zukuri style, which is exemplified by Ise-jingu Shrine, and taisha-zukuri style, which is examplified by Izumo-taisha Shrine.

The Structure
Sumiyoshi-zukuri style architecture has no veranda (a narrow wooden passageway along the edge of a house facing the garden) or the sacred core pillar installed at the center of the main sanctuary of a shrine, and the inside is divided into a naijin (inner sanctuary of a shrine or temple) and a gejin (part of the main sanctuary outside the innermost sanctum of a shrine). It is rectangular with a width of approx. 3. 6 meters and a depth of approx. 7. 3 meters, approx. 3. 6 meters each for the naijin and gejin.

The structure of sumiyoshi-zukuri style employs kirizuma-zukuri style (an architectural style with a gabled roof) with a Tsuma-iri (entrance on the gable side), and its planar working gives a linear outlook.

The Roof
The roofs are not necessarily thatched; there are wide varieties, from kokerabuki (a roof covering made with a layer of thin wooden shingles made of cypress) to hiwadabuki (cypress bark roof).

The hafu of Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine is linear-shaped, and the embellishment of gable pediments is 交叉合掌型.

The Pillars
The architecture is approx. 3. 6 meters wide and approx. 7. 3 meters deep without the sacred core pillar installed at the center of the main sanctuary of a shrine, or pillars at the center on the front.

The Walls
A double-door opening is provided at one location, at the center on the front.

The Floors
The floor is lower than those of taisha-zukuri style and shinmei-zukuri style.

Overview of Gion-zukuri
The Gion-zukuri style is a style of Japanese shrine architecture. It is also called Yasaka-zukuri style.

The Gion-zukuri style can be seen only at Yasaka-jinja Shrine in Gion, Kyoto, and it is considered to be the style of shrine architecture that most resembles that of Buddhist temple architecture due to the single roof that covers the separate honden (main sanctury) and rei-do hall (current haiden (worship hall)).

The Structure
The structure of Gion-zukuri consists of the Irimoya-zukuri style (hip-and-gable roof) and hirairi (the entrance to a building constructed parallel to the ridge of the roof, usually on the long side of building). A single hikawabuki roof (cypress bark roof) covers both the honden building which measures five-ken (9. 09m) in the front face and two-ken (3. 636m) in the lateral face and is surrounded by eaves, as well as the rei-do hall situated in front of it.

Moreover, the addition of a kohai (roof built over the steps leading up to a temple building) at the front face and a mago bisashi (additional eaves off the main eaves) at the other three sides makes the structure larger and even more complicated.

History of Gion-zukuri
According to Daijokanpu (official documents issued by Daijokan, Grand Council of State) from the year 935, the honden and rei-do hall of Yasaka-jinja Shrine were separate buildings.

In an ancient drawing made in 1331, the shrine is depicted as a Gion-zukuri style building, and it is estimated from the fact that the original copy of this drawing was created in 986 that the Gion-zukuri style was established between 935 and 986.

The present ｈonden (main sanctuary) was reconstructed in 1654.

Overview of Hachiman-zukuri
The Hachiman-zukuri style is one of the architectural styles of shrines in Japan.

Hachiman-zukuri, as represented by Usa-jigu Shrine, is a shrine pavilion built by interconnecting 2 buildings back to back.

It can be said that the Gongen-zukuri style, exemplified by Nikko Toshogu Shrine, also derived from the Hachiman-zukuri style.

The Structure
Two buildings, a front hall and a rear hall built in the kirizuma-zukuri style (an architectural style with a gabled roof), and hirairi (the entrance to a building built parallel to the ridge of the roof, usually on the long side of the building), respectively, are interconnected back to back with an Ainoma (Middle Room located between Honden main hall and Haiden oratory) in between them.

The front hall is referred to as Exterior Hall, 礼殿, 細殿, 出殿 or 出居殿, whereas the rear hall is referred to as the Interior Hall.

A chair is placed in the anterior hall, whereas a 4-poster platform with drapes is placed in the posterior hall, with both the chair and platform serving as shinza (the seat of the deity). It is said that the god moves to the anterior hall during the day and moves to the posterior hall in the evening.

The Roofs
Metal gutters are installed in the valley formed where the eaves of the anterior and posterior halls meet to catch rainwater.

Ridges of gables are decorated with gegyo (decorative wooden boards used to cover the ridge and purlin ends on a roof gable).

The Columns
Columns are symmetrical, and there are even numbers of columns on the right and left sides.

The Walls
There are double doors at the center of the façade and an additional door on either side of the Ainoma.

Verandas surround the exterior of the buildings.

The Floors
The floors of the Ainoma are recessed in accordance with ancient ritual.

Overview of Otori-zukuri
Otori-zukuri style is one of the architectural styles of shrines in Japan.

The Structure
Similarly to taisha-zukuri style, otori-zukuri style architecture is square-shaped with an area of approximately 3. 6 sq. m. , but without a veranda (a narrow wooden passageway along the edge of a house facing the garden) or the sacred core pillar installed at the center of the main sanctuary of a shrine. The entrance is located at the center on the front, and the inside is divided into a naijin (inner sanctuary of a shrine or temple) and a gejin (part of the main sanctuary outside the innermost sanctum of a shrine) with a shinza (seat of the deity) situated at the center of the naijin.

Otori-zukuri style employs kirizuma-zukuri style (an architectural style with a gabled roof) with a Tsuma-iri (entrance on gable side), and many have more linear roofs than those of taisha-zukuri style.

The Roofs
The roofs are not necessarily thatched; there are wide varieties, from kokerabuki (a roof covering made with a layer of thin wooden shingles made of cypress) to hiwadabuki (cypress bark roof).

The hafu (a barge board) on the front that supports the roof is decorated with a gegyo (decorative wooden board used to cover the ridge and purlin ends on a roof gable).

The Pillars
The architecture is square-shaped with an area of approximately 3. 6 sq. m. without the sacred core pillar installed at the center of the main sanctuary of a shrine, or pillars at the center on the front.

The Walls
A double-door opening is provided at one location, at the center on the front.

The Floors
The floor is lower than those of taisha-zukuri style and shinmei-zukuri style.

Overview of Kasuga-zukuri
Kasuga-zukuri style is one of the architectural styles of shrines in Japan.

Kasuga-zukuri style, which is typified by Kasuga-taisha Shrine, employs kirizuma-zukuri style (an architectural style with a gabled roof) with a Tsuma-iri (entrance on the gable side) as is the case with taisha-zukuri style as exemplified by Izumo-taisha Shrine; however, its roof is curved toward each side and is also provided at the front, forming a kohai (a roof built over the steps leading up to a temple building (i. e. , eaves)). Many shrines of this style are influenced by temple architecture in terms of colors, etc.

The Structure
The structure of kasuga-zukuri style employs kirizuma-zukuri style with a Tsuma-iri, and, similar to taisha-zukuri style, elegant curves are provided on the roof.

The Roofs
The roofs are not necessarily thatched; there are wide varieties, from kokerabuki (a roof covering made with a layer of thin wooden shingles made of cypress) to hiwadabuki (cypress bark roof).

The hafu (a barge board) on the front is set off in a triangular shape and decorated with a gegyo (decorative wooden board used to cover the ridge and purlin ends on a roof gable). Chigi (ornamental crossbeams on the gable of a Shinto shrine) and Katsuogi (ornamental logs arranged orthogonal to the ridge of a Shinto shrine) are provided for decorative purposes.

The slope of the kohai extending frontward is not steep and forms an elegant curve.

The Pillars
The pillars are symmetrical, with an even number of marubashira (circular pillars or posts) provided to each side.

If ketayuki (distance spanned by the longitudinal purlins or plates of the main frame) is approximately 3. 6 meters (two pillars), the structure is referred to as ikkensha Kasuga-zukuri style (shrines built to the width of just a single bay at the gable ends), and if ketayuki is approximately 5. 5 meters (four pillars), the structure is referred to as sangensha Kasuga-zukuri style (shrines built to the width of three bays at the gable ends).

The Walls
A double-door opening is provided at one location, at the center on the front.

Waki-shoji (side-screens) are often provided on the sides.

The Floors
The structure has a high floor, giving consideration to air permeability as in the case of taisha-zukuri style.

Overview of Gongen-zukuri
The gongen-zukuri style is a style of shrine buildings in Japan. It is also called ishinoma-zukuri style "literally, stone-room style. "

One characteristic of this style is that the honden (main hall) and haiden (hall of worship), usually two separate buildings, are integrated, and connected by a low building called "ishinoma. "

It is said that the gongen-zukuri style started with Hiyoshi Tosho-gu Shrine (built in 1634) in Sakamoto, Otsu City. It is said that this style originated in Kaizan-do Hall adopted in Buddist temples, where the Shi-do hall (a hall dedicated to the souls of ancestors), is connected to the Rai-do hall (a worship hall) with the Ainoma (connection room). However, it is also said that the hall is based on the hachiman-zukuri style.

The Structure
Three buildings each in the irimoya style (with a half-hipped roof) and which are hirairi (a style of building which has the entrance on its long side) are joined by a building in the irimoya style and which is tsumairi (a style of building which has the entrance on its short side) and is placed perpendicular to the three buildings.

Because a large number of ridges is used in this style, it is also called "yatsumune-zukuri style" (literally, eight-ridge style). However, in actual fact it only has seven ridges.

In the hachiman-zukuri style, both the front hall and back hall are the main halls. On the other hand, in the gongen-zukuri style, only the rear building is the main hall, and it can be said that the haiden, ishinoma and honden constitute a form of composite shrine building.

The Roofs
Many materials are used for making the roofs, including not only thatch but tiles and other materials.

The hafu (bargeboard) on the front side is either a chidori hafu or a noki kara hafu (both are hafu with a kind of decoration).

The Pillars
Gongen-zukuri style buildings are horizontally symmetrical, with an even number of pillars on either side.

The haiden is the widest of the three, and the ishinoma and the honden are of different widths.

At Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine the haiden is 23. 4 meters wide, the ishinoma 12. 6 meters wide and the honden 9 meters wide. At Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine the haiden is 16. 2 meters wide, the ishinoma 5. 4 meters wide and the honden 9 meters wide. The honden of Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine is not symmetrical horizontally, because it has a wakiden (hall standing nearby the main hall) to its left.

The Floors
The floor of the ishinoma was laid with stones in buildings of ancient styles, as in KitanoTenman-gu Shrine, but are otherwise mostly made of boards. In Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine, the floor of the ishinoma is made of tatami mats.

Overview of Nagare-zukuri
Nagare-zukuri style is an architectural style of Japanese shrines.

The nagare-zukuri style, which is represented by Kamowakeikazuchi-jinja Shrine (Kamigamo-jinja Shrine) and Kamomioya-jinja Shrine (Shimogamo-jinja Shrine), is an advanced variation of the Shinmei-zukuri style, which is represented by Ise-jingu Shrine. The style is characterized by a long-extending, curved front slope of the warped roof, which constitutes a kohai (eave). This is the most popular architectural style among Japanese shrines

The Structure
The nagare-zukuri style employs a kirizuma-zukuri/hirairi structure, and its roof forms a graceful curve similar to that of taisha-zukuri style. This makes the nagare-zukuri style different from the shinmei-zukuri style, which is characterized by its straight external appearance.

The Roofs
Unlike the shinmei-zukuri style, the roof is not only thatched but also covered with a variety of materials, such as kokeras (thin plates of wood), cypress bark shingles, etc.

Each of the gables of the roof is decorated with a gegyo (decoration board) and forms a graceful curve.

The slope of the roof is not steep. The roof is characterized by a long curve which smoothly extends forward from the minoko (curved surface portion for adjustment) to the kohai.

Round columns and chamfered rectangular columns are respectively used for the building and the kohai, and a funahijiki (horizontal member) is provided on each of the rectangular columns.

When the ketayuki (the distance between columns in the width direction) is one ken (1. 8182 m) (the number of columns is two), it is called ikkensha-nagare-zukuri style, and when the distance is three kens (5. 4546 m), it is called sangensha-nagare-zukuri style (the number of columns is four).

History of Nagare-zukuri style
Because it is an advanced variation of the shinmei-zukuri style, its history is not long. The oldest surviving nagare-zukuri style building is the honden (main hall) of Ujigami-jinja Shrine, which was built in the latter half of the Heian period.

Overview of Sengen-zukuri
Sengen-zukuri is one of the architectural styles of shrines in Japan.

Sengen-zukuri is a two-story architectural style in which a sanctuary, the main building of a Shinto shrine, is built on top of another sanctuary.

Overview of Owari-zukuri
Owari-zukuri style is one of the architectural styles of shrines in Japan.

Owari-zukuri style refers to a symmetrical architectural style in which the Honden (main shrine) at the back, the Saimonden (liturgy hall) in the middle, and the Haiden (a hall of worship) at the front are connected by cloisters, and is characteristic to Owari Province.