Basic information

Minase Shrine, which enshrines the three emperors Gotoba, Tsuchimikado, and Juntoku, is said to have begun in 1240 when Minase Nobunari and his son Chikanari, who served the retired emperor Gotoba, built a Goei-do hall on the site of the Minase Imperial Villa that the emperor had built, and offered prayers for the deceased's souls. The "water of the Imperial Villa," which is said to have been a favorite of Sen no Rikyu, has been selected as one of the "100 Famous Waters of Japan" by the Environment Agency.
The oldest building on the temple grounds, the reception hall (an important cultural property and former national treasure), is a Momoyama-era building that is said to have been built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the command of Fukushima Masanori.
The tea room (wicker seat) [Important Cultural Property, former National Treasure] was built in the early Edo period and is said to have been moved from the Imperial Palace. The name comes from the fact that the coffered ceiling of the tea room is made of over ten types of plants used to make wicks, including Yamabuki, Horsetail, Reed, and Hagi.
[Special Opening] Reception Hall
[Regularly open] Tea room (Toshin seat)