Kinunkaku Pavillion

A masterpiece building that stands alongside the moat in Kikko Park.

Built in 1885 within the precincts of Kikko Shrine, Kinunkaku Pavilion is an Emado (a building where Ema, votive picture tablets dedicated to the shrine, are displayed). Although no valuable Ema have survived to the present day, at its main entrance hangs a painting of Zhong Kui by Ashino Bunki. *The deity Zhong Kui (known as Shoki in Japan) is venerated in China as a god who drives away the god of plague. In Iwakuni, Zhong Kui was used as a talisman against smallpox. Even today, the sight of the Pavilion overlooking the moat in Kikko Park is extremely elegant. In particular, from April to early June when cherry blossoms, azaleas and other flowers bloom in its surroundings, the Pavilion boasts a beauty that resembles a Japanese hanging scroll painting. In February 2000, the Pavilion was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property by Iwakuni City.