What Is Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower?
Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower (真龍寺鐘楼, Shinryū-ji Shōrō) is a Shōrō built in 1898 at Shinryuji Temple in Nagara, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture, and was entered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 31, 2022. It is a timber structure with a tiled roof, covering 6.4 square meters.
It stands beside the Main Gate on its west side and is open on all four sides, with no walls between its posts. The date comes from its Munafuda, the ridge tablet that records its construction.
Why the Bell Tower Was Registered
The Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, standing with the gate against the backdrop of Mount Dodogamine, it forms part of a historic temple scene. Gifu City adds that its restrained, well-proportioned design works with the mountains behind it to shape the local landscape.
The master carpenter was Kasahara Jishichi. According to the Agency, he was a pupil of the carpenter who built the Main Hall, so 17 years after his teacher finished the hall, the apprentice raised this tower in front of it.
Inward-Leaning Posts on a Rubble Base
The base of the Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower is built of ransekizumi, irregular stones laid in random courses. Plinth blocks called soban sit on top, and round posts stand on them. The posts are not quite vertical: they lean slightly inward, a technique called Uchikorobi. Narrowing toward the top, the frame takes the weight of the roof with a steadier stance.
The four posts are locked together by Nuki tie beams, an arched Kōryō and a head tie beam, the kashiranuki. In plan the tower is a single bay square, and it is left fully open.
The Roof and Eaves
The roof is hip-and-gable, in the Irimoya-zukuri style, laid with Sangawara-buki pantiles. The eaves are double-layered, a form called futanoki in which flying rafters extend beyond the base rafters, and Mitsudo-gumi bracket sets sit atop the posts. Overhead is a Gō-tenjō coffered ceiling.
Rather than leaning on carving, the Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower takes its dignity from the stepping of its brackets and eaves, and Gifu City's leaflet names this restraint as its defining trait.
Visiting the Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower
Because the Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower has no walls, you can see its posts, brackets and ceiling from outside. The inward lean of the posts is easiest to read from a few steps back, looking at the tower side-on. The Agency photographed it from the southeast and from the west: the southeast view pairs it with the Main Gate, and the west view shows how the posts and eaves layer.
There is no notice saying whether visitors may ring the bell. Nothing is posted about admission or photography either, so follow the temple's directions while services are under way.
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Q&A
- When was the Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower built?
- Its ridge tablet dates it to 1898.
- Who built the Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower?
- The master carpenter was Kasahara Jishichi, a pupil of the carpenter who built the Main Hall. He built the tower 17 years after the hall was finished.
- Why is the Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- Standing with the Main Gate against Mount Dodogamine, it helps form a historic temple scene. It was registered on October 31, 2022, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- What does uchikorobi mean on the Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower?
- It is the technique of setting posts with a slight inward lean instead of perfectly upright, which gives the frame a steadier stance under the roof.
- Can you see the Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower up close?
- Yes. It has no walls, so its posts, brackets and ceiling are visible from the temple grounds. No admission fee is posted.
Basic Information
| Name | Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower |
|---|---|
| Location | 2509-1 Nagara, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered October 31, 2022 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Area 6.4 square meters |
| Owner | Shinryuji Religious Corporation |
| Public Access | Viewable from the temple grounds (no notice on admission or photography) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014386
- Cultural Heritage Online: Shinryuji Temple Bell Tower (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/556995
- Gifu City: Shinryuji Main Hall and Three Other Registered Buildings (Japanese)
- https://www.city.gifu.lg.jp/kankoubunka/bunkazai/1005549/1021043/1021041/1023383.html
- Gifu City: Explanatory Leaflet on the Shinryuji Buildings (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.gifu.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/023/383/kaisetu_sinryuji.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.04
