The Main Hall of the Kira Family Temple
The Kagakuji Temple Main Hall (花岳寺本堂) is the main hall of a Rinzai Zen temple of 1684 in Okayama, Kira-cho, Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on June 25, 2002 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber hall with a tiled roof and a building area of 133 square metres; registration number 23-0059.
The Hall of the Kira Family Temple
The Kagakuji Temple Main Hall belongs to a Rinzai Zen temple that became the family temple of the Kira clan (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It has a hip-and-gable roof of pantiles and follows the typical six-room plan.
Some fittings such as doors have been altered, but almost all the main timbers are original (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that the altar arrangement and the slender proportions of the timbers keep an older manner, and calls the hall an important survival for understanding Zen main halls of the region in the later 17th century; it was registered as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the six-room plan and the older manner seen in the altar arrangement and slender timbers (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Most of the main members are original.
Visiting
It is owned by Kagakuji, a religious corporation (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting conditions was found.
Q&A
- When was the Kagakuji Temple Main Hall built?
- In 1684 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What kind of temple is Kagakuji?
- A Rinzai Zen temple that became the family temple of the Kira clan.
- What should I look for?
- The six-room plan and the older manner of the altar and slender timbers.
- Where is Kagakuji?
- In Okayama, Kira-cho, Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture.
- When was the Kagakuji Temple Main Hall registered?
- On June 25, 2002 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kagakuji Temple Main Hall (花岳寺本堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | Lot 67, Okayama, Kira-cho, Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2002/06/25 (Heisei 14) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 133 m² |
| Owner | Kagakuji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | No official information on visits |
References
- Kagakuji Temple Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002772
Last verified: 2026.10.19