, also called or is a rare Shinto shrine architectural style presently found in only three instances, all at Hiyoshi Taisha

Hiyoshi Taisha

is a Shinto shrine located in Ōtsu, Shiga, Japan. The and the have been designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as National Treasures in the category shrines.- History :Hiyoshi Taisha was first recorded in Kojiki, written in the 8th century...

 in Ōtsu, Shiga

Otsu, Shiga

is the capital city of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1898. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 338,629 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 905.28 persons per km²...

, hence the name. They are the East and West and the .
It is characterized by a hip

Hip roof

A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...

-and gable

Gable

A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...

 roof with verandas called hisashi

Hisashi

Hisashi may refer to:* Hisashi * Hisashi...

on the sides. It has a hirairi

Hirairi

is a Japanese traditional architectural structure, where the building has its main entrance on the side which runs parallel to the roof's ridge . The shinmei-zukuri, nagare-zukuri, hachiman-zukuri, and hie-zukuri Shinto architectural styles belong to this type...

structure, that is, the building has its main entrance on the side which runs parallel to the roof's ridge (non gabled-side).

The building is composed of a 3x2 ken

Ken

Ken or KEN may refer to:*Ken meaning "prefecture" in Japanese - see Prefectures of Japan*Ken , 1964 Japanese film*Kèn from Vietnam*Komisja Edukacji Narodowej, Polish National Board of Education...

core called moya surrounded on three sides by a 1-ken wide hisashi, totaling 5x3 ken (see photo). The three-sided hisashi is unique and typical of this style. The gabled roof extends in small portico

Portico

A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...

s on the front and the two gabled sides.The roof on the back has a characteristic shape (see photo below).