Directly before the Hagunden (Hall of the Army-Breaking Star / 破軍殿) lies the Hokutoba (Place of the Big Dipper / 北斗場), the ceremonial courtyard of the Hokushin-Jinja (Shrine of the North Star / 北辰神社). Named after the Hokuto Shichisei (Big Dipper / 北斗七星), whose eternal movement around the Hokushin (North Star / 北辰) is one of the central symbols of the worship of Hokushin Myōken Sonjō-ō (the Venerable Star King Myōken of the North Star / 北辰妙見尊星王), the Hokutoba (Place of the Big Dipper / 北斗場) comprises the sacred forecourt extending before the shrine's main hall.
Consisting of the central granite-paved courtyard together with the surrounding ceremonial space, the Hokutoba serves as the principal venue for religious ceremonies, hōnō-enbu (dedicatory martial demonstrations / 奉納演武), hōnō-jiai (ritual matches dedicated to the deity / 奉納試合), and the regular yagai-geiko (outdoor training / 野外稽古) of the famous samurai school Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō.