一之宮貫前神社
1535 Ichinomiya, Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture
Ichinomiya in Tomioka City, Gunma Prefecture.
It is known as a rare "descending shrine" where you climb stone steps from the front of the approach, pass through the torii gate and the main gate, and then descend stone steps.
The current name "Ichinomiya Nukisaki Shrine" originally appeared in ancient documents as two names: Nukihoko Shrine and Nukisaki Shrine.
There are two theories regarding the existence of the two names: one suggests they refer to the same shrine, while the other suggests they refer to separate shrines.
From east to west of Joshu Ichinomiya, a series of low hills continue, and the stone steps of Nukisaki Shrine are set to cross over these hills.
The approach path consists of a steep slope and stone steps with a large torii gate at the top, followed by the main gate.
The lanterns on both sides of the main gate were made in 1865 and are designated as city cultural properties.
These copper lanterns, built the year after they were made, are over 3 meters tall.
To the left of the main gate, the shrine grounds open up with subsidiary shrines enshrined.
The long shrine building on the left is called the "Twenty-two Subsidiary Shrines".
These are subsidiary shrines that were enshrined within the precincts of Nukisaki Shrine, and they were consolidated into one building during the construction of the main hall in 1635, hence the name.
The central shrine building of the Twenty-two Subsidiary Shrines is Hie Shrine, said to be a relocated former main hall from before 1635.
In 1879, it merged three nearby shrines and now enshrines a total of 18 deities.
Next to Hie Shrine are shrines called Ise Inner Shrine and Outer Shrine.
These were originally within the precincts and were moved to this location in 1635.
The Inner Shrine enshrines Amaterasu Omikami, and the Outer Shrine enshrines Toyouke Omikami.
A subsidiary shrine called Tsukuyomi Shrine is located midway down the stone steps on the left.
The building was originally used as Gyuo Hall, a worship hall from before 1635, and was later dedicated to Tsukuyomi no Mikoto after the Meiji Restoration, thus renamed Tsukuyomi Shrine.
Similar to Hie Shrine, it also enshrines 17 other deities.
As the name "descending shrine" suggests, the shrine building is located down the stone steps from the main gate.
The tower gate visible at the bottom of the steps is a nationally designated important cultural property built in 1635.
Painted entirely in vermilion, it lacks notable carvings except for the frog-leg struts.
Corridors are set on both sides, providing a view of the entire structure from the stone steps.
The worship hall behind the tower gate features vivid decorations from the Edo period.
It is built in the irimoya-zukuri style, with particularly vibrant colors on the gable and under the eaves.
The building is intricately crafted and fully lacquered.
The main hall, currently under renovation, is unique to Nukisaki Shrine and is built in the nukenari-zukuri style.
Externally, it resembles the kasuga-zukuri style with chigi and katsuogi, but internally it is a two-story structure.
It has a small window called the "Raijin Komado" on the ridge, making it a rare architectural style.
Both the worship hall and the main hall are designated as Important Cultural Properties by the national government.
The auxiliary shrine next to the main hall is called Nukiho Wakamiko Shrine and was relocated to this site in 1905.
According to the ridge tag, it was built in 1815.
| Location | 1535 Ichinomiya, Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Website | http://nukisaki.kazelog.jp/blog/ |
| Deities | Futsunushi no Mikoto, Hime Okami |
| Main Hall | Important Cultural Property (National) 1635 |
|---|---|
| Architectural Style | Nukenari-zukuri, cypress bark roof |
| Worship Hall | Important Cultural Property (National) 1635 |
|---|---|
| Architectural Style | Three-bay by three-bay irimoya-zukuri, cypress bark roof |
| Tower Gate | Important Cultural Property (National) 1635 |
| Architectural Style | With east-west corridors |
| Auxiliary Shrine (Nukiho Wakamiko Shrine) | 1815 |
|---|---|
| Architectural Style | One-bay nagare-zukuri, copper roof |