A Small but Well-Preserved Provincial Temple
The Wakasa Provincial Temple Site (若狭国分寺跡) is the site of the Nara-period provincial temple of Wakasa at Kokubu, Obama City, Fukui Prefecture, designated a Historic Site in 1976.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists it under the criterion for temple and shrine sites.
According to the Agency, it is bounded by the Kita River to the north and the Onyu and Matsunaga rivers to the east and west.
The Temple Layout
According to the Agency, excavations from 1972 revealed the middle gate, main hall and lecture hall in line from the south. The main hall site measures 28.8 by 21.9 metres, with two stairways on the front of its platform and a stone-paved approach to the middle gate.
The pagoda site east of the middle gate, 15.3 metres square, has lost its central foundation stone but keeps its platform groundwork. Within a precinct two cho square, the core buildings retain their original layout well.
What to Look For
The Agency notes that its buildings are generally smaller than those of other provincial temples, but that its remains are well preserved and of high academic value.
The main hall platform and paved approach make the framework of the temple visible.
Visiting the Wakasa Provincial Temple Site
Check visiting information with Obama City.
Enquiries go to the Obama City board of education.
Q&A
- When was the site designated?
- On 23 December 1976.
- What remains were found?
- A middle gate, main hall and lecture hall in line, and a pagoda site.
- How big is the main hall site?
- 28.8 by 21.9 metres.
- What is distinctive about it?
- Its buildings are small but well preserved.
- When did excavation begin?
- In 1972.
Basic Information
| Name | Wakasa Provincial Temple Site (若狭国分寺跡) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kokubu, Obama City, Fukui Prefecture |
| Designation | Historic Site |
| Year Designated | Designated 1976/12/23 (Showa 51) |
| Quantity | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Dimensions | Precinct two cho square |
| Owner | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Check with Obama City |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Wakasa Provincial Temple Site (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/1065
- Cultural Heritage Online: Wakasa Provincial Temple Site (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/201596
Last verified: 2026.09.29