Taisanji Temple Main Hall

A Great Esoteric Hall Dated by Its Inscriptions

The Taisanji Temple Main Hall (太山寺本堂) is the late Kamakura main hall of Taisanji in Taisanji-machi, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, which in 1956 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey hip-and-gable hall seven bays by nine with a traditional tile roof.

According to the Agency, ink inscriptions on its frog-leg struts date it to 1305.

The Plan

According to the Agency, repairs in 1955 uncovered inscriptions of the twelfth month of 1305 behind the central strut of the shrine cabinet and of the fourth month of 1306 behind the central strut at the front of the division between the inner and outer sanctuaries, fixing the date.

The plan is somewhat deep: aisles two bays deep front and rear and one bay at the sides surround a raised central core five bays square, whose rear three bays square form the main sanctuary and front three by two bays the worship hall, divided by lattice doors and diamond-pattern transoms in the esoteric manner.

What to Look For

The Agency notes that it is mostly Japanese style with some Great Buddha-style mouldings, and that ornate frog-leg struts fill the bays at the front and at the sanctuary division, matching those of the contemporary shrine cabinet.

The Agency calls it a large esoteric hall of unusual plan in Kamakura Japanese style, its inner sanctuary surrounded by a double outer sanctuary and side and rear sanctuaries. The Showa repairs restored all but the roof to its original form.

Visiting the Taisanji Temple Main Hall

No official visitor information could be found.

The temple's history and its Nio gate are on the Taisanji group page.