Shinchokokuji Temple

Shinchokokuji Temple at a Glance

Shinchokokuji Temple (新長谷寺, Shinchōkoku-ji) is a Shingon school Buddhist temple in Hasederacho, Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, where the main hall rebuilt in 1460 and seven other buildings are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Locals call it Kitta Kannon (吉田観音) or simply Kannon-sama, and the unusually complete group of medieval halls has earned it the nickname "the Horyuji of Mino".

The name catches out many visitors. The characters 長谷寺 are usually read Hasedera, and the surrounding neighbourhood really is Hasedera-cho, yet the temple itself is pronounced Shinchokokuji. The Agency for Cultural Affairs, Gifu Prefecture and Seki City all use that reading, so ask for "Shinchokokuji" or "Kitta Kannon" rather than "Shin-Hasedera" when you need directions.

Why "new Hasedera"? The Seki tourism association explains that the principal image, a standing wooden Eleven-Headed Kannon, is said to have been carved from the same tree as the famous Kannon of Hasedera in Nara, and the temple was granted its name on that basis. The statue is an Important Cultural Property in its own right.

History of Shinchokokuji Temple

Gifu Prefecture's heritage notes credit the founding to the monk Gonin, a fourth-generation spiritual descendant of Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi), the founder of Shingon Buddhism. The Nipponica encyclopedia places the founding in 1222 under a vow of Emperor Go-Horikawa, and records the temple legend that Gonin obtained the Kannon image after a dream he had while training at Hasedera in Nara.

The same entry describes a cycle of loss and recovery. Shinchokokuji burned in 1300 and was rebuilt, then suffered another fire in the mid-Muromachi period before its halls were repaired and completed again.

What stands today belongs to that recovery. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the main hall to 1460 and the three-storied pagoda to 1463. The Shaka Hall, Amida Hall, Daishi Hall, Tutelary Deity Hall and Yakushi Hall are late Muromachi work, while the Guest Hall is the one early Edo-period building in the group.

Designation came in two stages. The main hall and pagoda became Important Cultural Properties on 5 April 1909, and the other six buildings followed on 14 November 1953. Seki City notes that Shinchokokuji holds 10 Important Cultural Properties in total once its sculpture is counted.

How the Shinchokokuji Temple Grounds Are Laid Out

Seki City describes the 25 buildings arranged around the main hall as the temple's shichido garan, its full monastic compound. Gifu Prefecture's notes capture the view on arrival: a two-storey gate appears far beyond the outer gate (Somon), and once you pass through it the Hiwadabuki halls open out neatly to the left and right of the main hall.

Measuring from the main hall on the Agency for Cultural Affairs map gives a clear skeleton of the plan.

• West side: the Daishi Hall (about 17 metres away), the Amida Hall and the Shaka Hall stand in a single row, north to south.
• East side: the Yakushi Hall sits directly abreast of the main hall at about 23 metres, with the pagoda a little to its south.
• The Tutelary Deity Hall lies to the northeast, toward the back of the precinct.
• The Guest Hall stands apart, about 90 metres southwest of the main hall.

Apart from the Guest Hall, all seven buildings fall within 35 metres of the main hall, so a loop takes little walking. A comfortable route is to pay respects at the main hall, walk the western row north to south, cross east to the pagoda and Yakushi Hall, and finish at the Tutelary Deity Hall at the back. Time your Guest Hall visit to your reservation.

Roof shapes are the easiest way to tell the halls apart. The main hall and Amida Hall have Irimoya-zukuri hip-and-gable roofs; the Shaka, Daishi and Yakushi halls use the Yosemune-zukuri hipped form; the Tutelary Deity Hall is a Nagare-zukuri shrine; and only the Guest Hall is roofed in copper rather than cypress bark. Each building has its own page with the structural details.

Visiting Rules at Shinchokokuji Temple

Photography is prohibited everywhere inside the Somon outer gate at Shinchokokuji. Seki City, the Seki tourism association and the Gifu Prefecture tourism federation all repeat this rule, and even the special opening Seki City organised in March 2026 banned photos throughout the grounds, interiors included. Put the camera and phone away before you step through the gate.

The only published fee is 300 yen for the Guest Hall, which must be booked in advance. Neither the city nor the tourism association lists opening hours for the grounds, so it is worth phoning the temple (0575-22-3464) when you make the Guest Hall booking. Interior access to the halls is limited, and some, such as the Shaka Hall, are normally closed.

Getting to Shinchokokuji Temple

The nearest station is Sekiguchi on the Nagaragawa Railway. Seki City puts the walk to Shinchokokuji at about 10 minutes, while the Seki tourism association and the prefectural tourism federation say about 15, so allow 10 to 15 minutes on foot.

By car, the temple is roughly 10 minutes from Seki Interchange on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway. The tourism association lists parking for 7 large buses and 30 cars. The address is 1 Hasederacho, Seki City, Gifu Prefecture.

Annual Events at Shinchokokuji Temple

On 18 February each year the temple holds Hatsu Kannon, the first service of the year for its Eleven-Headed Kannon, with prayers for business success and good harvests. On 9 August comes Kumakusennichi, sometimes written "ninety-nine thousand days": tradition holds that a single sincere visit on this date brings the merit of 99,000 days of worship, and the grounds and approach fill with visitors.

Both days are crowded. If your main interest is the architecture of Shinchokokuji Temple, choose another date so you can study the buildings at your own pace.