Senjokaku

=Senjokaku Hall= By: Ben Trouvais =History= Senjokaku Hall began construction in 1587 by Japanese unifier Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Although the hall is refered to as Senjokaku Hall, which means "Pavillion of 1,000 mats," named because 1,00 floor mats can fit inside, its official name is Toyokuni Shrine. The hall is constructed on a small hill beside the famous shrine, Itsukushima. The original intent of the construction of the hall was to commemorate fallen soldiers in battle. Budhist sutras were to be performed as the commemoration. The building, however, never got to see its intent used because, during its construction, in 1598, Hideyoshi died. After Hideyoshi died, construction ceased on the project when a new family took over Japan. As a result, the hall is left unfinished and missing very important parts.

Usage of the Hall
While the hall could no longer be used for its original purpose, it became a sort of gathering area for local citizens. During the Edo period in the evenings, especially in summer, citizens of Miyajima would gather in the hall to socialize and converse with one another. It was the cultural equivalent of the Roman Forum in Rome, Italy. Because so many people would gather there every night, the names of famous Kabuki actors of the time are scratched into the upper support beams of the hall. In 1872, the building was dedicated to the founder, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Inside, he is enshrined. Above his enshrinement is the only place in the entire hall where there is a roof.

The Hall Today
The hall as we know it today is much like how it look when construction stopped in 1598. There are no walls, no front front entrance, and there is no ceiling, except for the part above Hideyoshi's enshrinement. Much hasn't been changed since 1598; no big restoration projects have been done on the hall. Today, the hall is the biggest building on the entire island of Miyajima. It continues to serve its function as the shrine of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and showing the people of Japan its unique, original purpose and archetecture.