A Wakasa Hall of 1258 with Clever Interior Planning
The Myotsuji Temple Main Hall (明通寺本堂) is a Kamakura main hall of ingenious construction of 1258 in Monzen, Obama City, Fukui Prefecture, and was designated a National Treasure on November 14, 1953 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey hall five bays by six with a hip-and-gable cypress-bark roof and a one-bay porch; designation number 00143.
The Agency record also gives an earlier designation date of March 27, 1901, the date of its designation under the former law.
The Main Hall of a Temple Said to Date from 806
According to a temple history (a copy with a colophon of 1374) kept at the temple, Myotsuji was founded in 806 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The main hall had its ridge raised in 1258 and was dedicated seven years later, in 1265.
It is five bays by six, nearly square in actual measurement (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Lattice doors on the central line divide it into an outer sanctuary in front and an inner one behind. In the outer sanctuary the floor of the outer aisle is set lower, a rare treatment, and in the inner sanctuary the rear pillars are moved back a little to widen the space before the images, a clever device.
Why It Is a National Treasure
The Agency notes that Wakasa had close ties with Kyoto from early times and keeps many fine buildings, and that the main hall and pagoda of Myotsuji are its masterpieces, free of provincial lapses of style and equal to works in the capital.
Unusual Board Struts
The brackets are Japanese-style single-step brackets, with frog-leg struts between them on the front and posts elsewhere; inside the outer aisles, board struts are inserted above the brackets, an unusual structural method (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The porch and gable ornaments have later alterations, but the rest shows the Kamakura style.
What to Look For
Look for the lowered floor around the outer sanctuary and the rear pillars moved back to widen the space before the images (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Myotsuji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official visiting information was found. The main hall and pagoda are introduced together on the Myotsuji Temple page.
Q&A
- When was the hall built?
- Its ridge was raised in 1258 and it was dedicated in 1265.
- Who founded Myotsuji?
- Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, according to tradition.
- What is clever about it?
- The rear pillars are moved back to widen the space before the images.
- What is unusual structurally?
- Board struts inserted above the brackets in the outer aisles.
- When was the Myotsuji Temple Main Hall designated a National Treasure?
- On November 14, 1953 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Myotsuji Temple Main Hall (明通寺本堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | Monzen, Obama City, Fukui Prefecture |
| Designation | National Treasure (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated National Treasure 1953/11/14 (Showa 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Five bays by six, single storey, hip-and-gable, one-bay porch, cypress bark |
| Owner | Myotsuji Temple |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Myotsuji Temple Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/820
Last verified: 2026.10.24
