A Daishi Hall with S-Curved Rafters
The Meisekiji Temple Daishi Hall (明石寺大師堂) is a decorative three-bay Daishi hall of 1880 in Uwacho Ageishi, Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 2, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber hall with a tiled roof and a building area of 19 square metres; registration number 38-0077.
Lion Beam Ends and S-Curved Rafters
The Daishi Hall stands beside the main hall to its east, facing south; it is three bays square under a pyramidal pantiled roof, with projecting three-block brackets and two tiers of rafters (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Lion-carved beam ends on the porch and cove boards carved with clouds make it decorative (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The flying rafters of the porch follow an S-shaped reverse curve to adjust the pitch of its eaves.
The precinct of Meisekiji climbs a hillside: the two-storey gate, the Jizo hall and the guest hall stand on a middle terrace built up with stone steps and walls, and the main hall and Daishi hall on the top terrace (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a structure that would not be easy to reproduce.
What to Look For
Look for the lion beam ends and the S-curved flying rafters of the porch (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The owner is not listed in the Agency record. No official information on visiting hours or fees was found. The nine registered structures, from the main hall to the stone steps, are introduced together on the Meisekiji Temple page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1880 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What form does it take?
- Three bays square with a pyramidal roof.
- How is it decorated?
- Lion beam ends and cloud-carved cove boards.
- What is unusual?
- S-curved flying rafters on the porch.
- When was the Meisekiji Temple Daishi Hall registered?
- On October 2, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Meisekiji Temple Daishi Hall (明石寺大師堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 205 Uwacho Ageishi, Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2007/10/02 (Heisei 19) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 19 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Meisekiji Temple Daishi Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006321
Last verified: 2026.10.24
