Myosenji, a Hillside Temple in Onishi
Myosenji Temple (明専寺) is a Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-branch temple in Waki, Onishi-cho, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, whose bell tower gate of 1840 and stone wall begun in 1838 were registered as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (structures) on August 6, 2025.
According to the Ehime Prefectural Board of Education, the temple was built in 1657, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs places it on the hills west of the town. Construction records for the gate and the wall, the equivalent of a modern site diary, survive and give the construction dates and the names of the carpenters and masons, which adds to their historical value.
The Precinct and Its Registered Structures
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Ehime Prefecture, a long stone wall runs along the city road on the east side of the precinct, and the bell tower gate stands at the top of the central stone steps, at the entrance to the temple grounds. The gate is a two-storey, one-bay gate with a single passage, with the temple bell hung in its upper storey. The wall is 83 m long and was built with donations from the surrounding villages.
Ehime Prefecture praises both the gate and the wall as careful work that makes full use of techniques developed in the late Edo period. Together they form the face of the temple's entrance.
Visiting Myosenji
Imabari City reported that the bell tower gate was undergoing conservation work, scheduled for completion around summer 2026; depending on progress, access may be limited. The stone wall runs along the city road and can be seen from outside.
The address is 1277 Waki-ko, Onishi-cho, Imabari City. No official information on visiting hours, parking or transport was found.
References
- Myosenji Temple Bell Tower Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00015515
- Myosenji Temple Stone Wall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00015516
- Registration of the Myosenji bell tower gate and stone wall (Ehime Prefecture)
- https://www.pref.ehime.jp/page/104870.html
- Registration of the Myosenji bell tower gate and stone wall (Imabari City)
- https://www.city.imabari.ehime.jp/bunka/info/016/
Last verified: 2026.10.05
Basic Information
| Name | Myosenji Temple |
|---|---|
| Location | 1277 Wakiko, Onishicho, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture |
| Owner | Myosenji Temple |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (2) |
| Coordinates | 34.05782, 132.91892 |
