Shinmei-zukuri

[3][5] The buildings had gabled roofs, raised floors, plank walls, and were thatched with reed or covered with hinoki cypress bark.

[3] Three important forms of ancient shrine architectural styles exist: taisha-zukuri, shinmei-zukuri, and sumiyoshi-zukuri[6] They are exemplified by Izumo Taisha, Nishina Shinmei Shrine and Sumiyoshi Taisha,[7] respectively, and date to before 552.

[8] According to the tradition of Shikinen sengū-sai (式年遷宮祭), the buildings or shrines were faithfully rebuilt at regular intervals adhering to the original design.

In this manner, ancient styles have been replicated through the centuries to the present day.

[1] Built in plane-unfinished wood, the honden is either 3x2 ken or 1x1ken in size, has a raised floor, a gabled roof[9] with an entry on one of the non-gabled sides (hirairi or hirairi-zukuri (平入・平入造)), no upward curve at the eaves, and purely decorative logs called chigi (vertical) and katsuogi (horizontal) protruding from the roof's ridge.