is an ancient Japanese Shinto shrine architectural style which takes its name from Sumiyoshi Taisha's honden in Ōsaka. As in the case of the taisha-zukuri and shinmei-zukuri styles, its birth predates the arrival of Buddhism in Japan.
Ancient shrines were constructed according to the style of dwellings (Izumo Taisha)[1] [2] or storehouses (Ise Grand Shrine).[1] [3] The buildings had gabled roofs, raised floors, plank walls, and were thatched with reed or covered with hinoki cypress bark.[3] Such early shrines did not include a space for worship.[1] Three important forms of ancient shrine architectural styles exist: taisha-zukuri, shinmei-zukuri, and sumiyoshi-zukuri.[4] They are exemplified by Izumo Taisha, Nishina Shinmei Shrine and Sumiyoshi Taisha[5] respectively and date to before 552.[6] According to the tradition of , 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.[2]
The honden on the grounds at Sumiyoshi Taisha has been designated as a national treasure on the grounds that it is the oldest example of this style of architecture.The four identical honden buildings that compose it are 4 ken wide and 2 ken deep and have an entrance under one of the gables (a characteristic called . The roof is simple, doesn't curve upwards at the eaves and is decorated with purely ornamental poles called chigi (vertical) and katsuogi (horizontal).[7] The building is surrounded by a fence called mizugaki (瑞垣), in its turn surrounded by another called (see image in the gallery). There is no veranda, and a short stairway leads to the door.
The interior is divided in two sections, one at the front and one at the back with a single entrance at the front (see floor plan in the gallery).[8] The structure is simple, but brightly colored: supporting pillars are painted in vermilion and walls in white.
This style is supposed to have its origin in old palace architecture[8] Another example of this style is Sumiyoshi Jinja, part of the Sumiyoshi Sanjin complex in Fukuoka Prefecture.[8]