Miyazaki Shrine: Chokokan
The Miyazaki Shrine Chokokan (“hall where history reveals itself”) was constructed in 1911 to store artworks, documents, and other valuable items presented to the shrine throughout its history. The two-story structure was built in an eclectic style that mixes Western influences with traditional Japanese architecture. One of its most distinctive features is the namako wall: a white-edged diamond pattern created by thick plaster joints over black tiles, originally developed to protect the earthen walls of fire-resistant storehouses from water but repurposed during the Meiji era (1868–1912) to achieve a Western-style brick-and-mortar appearance. A registered Tangible Cultural Property, the Chokokan is still used for storage and occasional exhibitions, but is presently not open to visitors. Most of its collection has been moved elsewhere, including to the nearby Miyazaki Prefectural Museum of Nature and History.