Nagoya's Edo-Period Five-Storey Pagoda
The Koshoji Temple Five-Story Pagoda (興正寺五重塔, Koshoji gojunoto) is a five-storey pagoda built in 1808 at Yagotozan Koshoji in Yagoto-honmachi, Showa Ward, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, and it was designated an Important Cultural Property on February 16, 1982. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a three-bay, five-storey pagoda with a tiled roof.
According to the Agency, Koshoji was founded in the Jokyo era (1684 to 1688) by Tenzui Ensho, a monk from Mount Koya, and its halls were built with the support of the Owari lord Tokugawa Mitsutomo. The precinct is divided into an eastern and a western hill; on the western hill the main gate, middle gate, pagoda and main hall stand in a line from south to north. Nagoya's tourism site calls the pagoda the symbol of the temple.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The pagoda was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1982. The Agency notes that its slender body and short finial are typical of the early modern period, but that it is restrained overall, with little ornament, in a quiet wayo style. It also points to old-fashioned features, such as the central pillar standing on a foundation stone, an earth floor in the first storey and the way the structure is assembled, making it a rare and important example of a late Edo pagoda.
Its value lies in a late Edo pagoda that keeps a restrained wayo style and early construction methods. Standing at the heart of the western precinct, it shapes the skyline of the Yagoto hill.
What to Look For
According to the Agency, the pagoda is fairly small, 3.94 metres across, with no veranda around the first storey; the second and fourth storeys have upturned balustrades and the third and fifth have balustrades with bulbous finials. Look up to see how the balustrade changes from storey to storey.
Inside, the central pillar stands on its foundation stone, the first storey has an earth floor and a coved coffered ceiling, an image of Dainichi Nyorai is set into a niche cut in the central pillar, and altars on its four sides hold the four Buddhas of the Diamond Realm (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Notice too the straight line of main gate, middle gate, pagoda and main hall on the western hill.
Visiting
According to Koshoji, the precinct is open 24 hours, and the western main hall is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No information was found on access to the pagoda's interior.
Koshoji Temple is 3 minutes on foot from exit 1 of Yagoto Station on the Tsurumai and Meijo subway lines (Nagoya tourism). By car it is 300 metres from the Yagoto intersection on Route 153 toward Kawana, with a multi-storey car park at the entrance (Koshoji). The address is 78 Yagoto-honmachi, Showa Ward, Nagoya (052-832-2801).
Q&A
- When was the Koshoji pagoda built?
- In 1808, in the late Edo period.
- When was it designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On February 16, 1982.
- What is distinctive about the pagoda?
- It is restrained in a quiet wayo style and keeps old features such as a central pillar on a foundation stone and an earth floor in the first storey.
- What is enshrined inside?
- An image of Dainichi Nyorai set into the central pillar, with the four Buddhas of the Diamond Realm on altars around it.
- How do I get to Koshoji?
- It is 3 minutes on foot from exit 1 of Yagoto Station on the Tsurumai and Meijo subway lines.
Basic Information
| Name | Koshoji Temple Five-Story Pagoda (興正寺五重塔) |
|---|---|
| Location | 78 Yagoto-honmachi, Showa Ward, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture (Yagotozan Koshoji) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1982/2/16 (Showa 57) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Three-bay, five-storey pagoda, tiled roof, 3.94 metres across |
| Owner | Koshoji |
| Public Access | Precinct open 24 hours (no information on interior access) |
References
- 興正寺五重塔 (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1190
- Temple treasures and cultural properties (Koshoji official site)
- https://www.koushoji.or.jp/jiho-bunkazai/
- Access and opening hours (Koshoji official site)
- https://www.koushoji.or.jp/access/
- Yagotozan Koshoji (Nagoya Concierge, Nagoya tourism)
- https://www.nagoya-info.jp/spot/detail/68/
Last verified: 2026.10.04