, also called , and , is a complex

Shinto shrine A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...

structure in which the '' haiden'', or worship hall, and the ''

honden In Shinto shrine architecture, the , also called , or sometimes as in Ise Shrine's case, is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined ''kami'', usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a sta ...

'', or main sanctuary, are interconnected under the same roof in the shape of an H.Encyclopedia of Shinto
''Gongen-zukuri''
accessed on December 2, 2009 The connecting passage can be called , , or ("intermediate hall"). The floor of each of the three halls can be at a different level. If the ''ai-no-ma'' is paved with stones it is called ''ishi-no-ma'', whence the name of the style. It can, however, be paved with planks or ''

tatami are soft mats used as flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. They are made in standard sizes, twice as long as wide, about , depending on the region. In martial arts, tatami are used for training in a dojo and for competition. ...

''. Its width is often the same as the ''honden's'', with the ''haiden'' from one to three '' ken'' wider. This style, rather than the structure of a building, defines the relationship between member structures of a shrine. Each member then belongs to a particular

architectural style An architectural style is a classification of buildings (and nonbuilding structures) based on a set of characteristics and features, including overall appearance, arrangement of the components, method of construction, building materials used, for ...

. For example, the ''honden'' and ''haiden'' at are single-storied, ''irimoya-zukuri'' edifices. Because they are connected by a passage called ''ishi-no-ma'' and are covered by a single roof, however, the complex is classified as belonging to the ''ishi-no-ma-zukuri'' style. One of the oldest examples is

Kitano Tenman-gū , also known as in Japan, is a Japanese comedian, actor, and filmmaker. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. During hi ...

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

. The ''gongen-zukuri'' name comes from

Nikkō Tōshō-gū is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, it forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 structures of the shrine included in the ...

Nikkō is a Cities of Japan, city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city's population was 80,239, in 36,531 households. The population density was 55 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Nikkō is a popular destination for Japanese and ...

, which enshrines the Tōshō Daigongen (

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

) and adopts this structure.Jaanus
Gongen-zukuri
accessed on December 5, 2009

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ishi-No-Ma-Zukuri Gongen Shinto architecture

See also

Notes