A Hall with a Drum Turret
The Nyoiji Temple Drum Tower (如意寺太鼓楼) is the drum tower of a temple of the late Edo period (1830 to 1868) in Chikaraishicho, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 29, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 64 square metres, altered between 1946 and 1965; registration number 23-0364.
A Building with a Drum Turret on Its Roof
The Nyoiji Temple Drum Tower stands north-west of the gate, with a hip-and-gable pantiled roof crowned in the middle by a hip-and-gable drum turret set crosswise to the main ridge (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The outer walls have been re-covered in sheet iron.
Inside, the western 2 and a half bays form a tea room for visitors and the eastern 2 bays a store (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The turret is clad in battened weatherboards, with sliding slatted windows on all four sides and eaves of single, widely spaced rafters.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the drum tower, near the gate, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the drum turret set crosswise in the middle of the roof and the slatted windows on all four of its sides (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The drum tower stands north-west of the gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on use of the tea room or access to the interior was found.
Q&A
- When was the Nyoiji Temple Drum Tower built?
- In the late Edo period, between 1830 and 1868, and altered between 1946 and 1965 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What kind of building is it?
- A hip-and-gable building with a drum turret set crosswise on its roof.
- What is inside?
- A tea room for visitors in the western 2 and a half bays and a store in the eastern 2 bays.
- Where is the drum tower?
- North-west of the gate in the precinct.
- When was the Nyoiji Temple Drum Tower registered?
- On March 29, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Nyoiji Temple Drum Tower (如意寺太鼓楼) |
|---|---|
| Location | 175 Chikaraishicho, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/03/29 (Heisei 25) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, 64 m² |
| Owner | Nyoiji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | No official information on interior access |
References
- Nyoiji Temple Drum Tower (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009466
Last verified: 2026.10.19
