In the Edo period, people extended or renovated their houses under the building regulations. The building regulations themselves have already been analyzed much. However, the process of the application under the regulations hasn’t clarified enough, partly because the character of the architectural rule was different in each place. This paper tries to reveal the process of application for extending or renovating a house in the Kamigamo district, and considers the character of the rule in this district.

To clarify this, I investigated diaries kept at Kamowakeikazuchi Shrine. It was revealed that these diaries are essential documents about the shrine management. Before the modern times, Kamowakeikazuchi Shrine governed the Kamigamo district. Therefore, when people wanted to construct something in this district, he or she was required to apply to the shrine for the permission of the construction. The diaries recorded what proceedings the resident took if he or she planned the extension or renovation of their house.

As a result of this study, the following three points were clarified:

1. In the case of extension, the resident in the Kamigamo district had to follow three procedures. First of all, he or she applied to Kamowakeikazuchi Shrine for the extension. Next, he or she was inspected the plan site by priests at the shrine. Lastly, he or she applied to the magistrate’s office through the shrine. Exceptionally, he or she was exempt from a few processes. Extension of eaves needed only the first process. Extension of an earth floor or addition in a backyard needed merely first and second process.

2. In the case of renovation, the resident there had to follow the same three procedures. Although in the cases I collected this time, any renovation didn’t need the third process, Kamowakeikazuchi Shrine considered whether the shrine needed to apply to the magistrate’s office for the construction. Exceptionally, the resident was free from a few processes. If the floor plan or the front of a house was not changed, the resident had to follow the only first process.

3. Based on the case of extension and renovation, it is thought that construction of the front side of the premises and the habitable space in the main house was under rigid rule. Firstly, it was common whether the construction was seen from the street or not. Secondly, extension of earth floor or building huts were exempt from application to the magistrate’s office.