A Jizo Hall of Dragons, Rabbits and Cranes
The Meisekiji Temple Jizo Hall (明石寺地蔵堂) is a Jizo hall covered in carvings of 1909 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 16 square metres; registration number 38-0078.
A Carver's Showpiece
The Jizo Hall stands facing south on the middle terrace; it is three bays square under a hip-and-gable pantiled roof with a porch at the front, two-step brackets, two tiers of rafters and a tie-beam-and-strut gable (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Carvings of dragons, rabbits, cranes and more cover the porch and the details of the hall, showing the zeal of the carver (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 dragons, rabbits and cranes carved across the porch and hall (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 1909 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is it?
- On the middle terrace.
- What do the carvings show?
- Dragons, rabbits, cranes and more.
- What are the brackets?
- Two-step brackets.
- When was the Meisekiji Temple Jizo Hall registered?
- On October 2, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Meisekiji Temple Jizo Hall (明石寺地蔵堂) |
|---|---|
| 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, 16 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Meisekiji Temple Jizo Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006323
Last verified: 2026.10.24
