What the Dharma Treasure House Is
Kosanji Temple Dharma Treasure House is a treasure hall of 1941 on the middle terrace of Kosanji Temple in Setoda, Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2003. It faces Sohozo across the five-storied pagoda, the two built to identical dimensions in identical form.
It is single-storey timber work under tile covering 180 square metres. A core four bays by three is wrapped on all sides by a skirt roof. The main roof is hip-and-gable, laid in Hongawarabuki and stepped in two planes.
The model is said to be the main hall of Shitennoji in Osaka. The Agency for Cultural Affairs commentary states plainly that this building is entered on the gable end and that its roof pitch and proportions differ considerably. It now serves as the third gallery of the Kosanji Museum.
Why It Was Registered
Kosanji Temple Dharma Treasure House was registered under the criterion for work not easily reproduced. Handling a stepped roof and a skirt roof wrapped around the core, while fitting the building to a modern museum use, is what the criterion recognises.
A stepped roof changes pitch partway down, steeper above and shallower below. That alters both how rain runs and how the eaves read from the ground. Carrying it out in temple tiling means the rows of round and flat tiles break once at the step, which makes the junction demanding work.
Entering on the gable end is the other large decision. The hall at Shitennoji is entered on the long side; this building is not. Facing Sohozo across the pagoda, the question of which way to turn the front had to be answered, and this was the answer. It was registered on 19 September 2003 under number 34-0049.
What to Look For
The step in the roof is the thing to see. From the side and a little way off, the roof plane visibly folds into two levels. The step flattens out as you approach, so cross to the far side of the middle terrace before looking back.
The gable end shows its Kōryō and Kumimono. The Agency for Cultural Affairs commentary treats this face as an accurate reading of late Edo temple carpentry. Because the building is entered here, this is also the front door, and it is worth a moment's looking up before going in.
The skirt roof running round the core is the third point. It makes the building read larger while hiding the interior height from outside. Here the eaves of the skirt and the eaves above set up two horizontals that steady the whole silhouette.
Compared with Sohozo opposite, the two look alike from outside and diverge within. The temple explains that both were built as treasure halls and that their interior plans and structure were altered a good deal for that purpose.
Visiting the Dharma Treasure House
Kosanji Temple Dharma Treasure House is open as the museum's third gallery, so it can be entered on the standard admission during opening hours. That makes it one of the few buildings here you can see from inside as well as out.
The displays inside centre on modern art and change over time, so check the official site beforehand if you have something particular in mind. To look at the building itself, stand under the skirt roof and look up at how the core columns meet the brackets.
Inside the galleries, tripods, flash and video are to be avoided. Still photography for personal enjoyment is permitted, as is posting on a personal blog or social media account. Steps at the entrance mean wheelchair access is not possible. Directions and the shared visiting conditions appear on the Kosanji Temple page.
Q&A
- Can you go inside Kosanji Temple Dharma Treasure House?
- Yes. It is open as the museum's third gallery and is included in the standard admission during opening hours.
- How does Kosanji Temple Dharma Treasure House differ from Sohozo?
- Outside they are a matched pair; inside, the plan and structure differ. This building stands west of the five-storied pagoda and Sohozo east of it.
- What is the roof of Kosanji Temple Dharma Treasure House like?
- Hip-and-gable, laid in temple tiling and stepped: the pitch changes partway down so the roof reads as two planes.
- What was Kosanji Temple Dharma Treasure House modelled on?
- The main hall of Shitennoji in Osaka, although this building is entered on the gable end and its proportions differ.
- Is photography allowed in Kosanji Temple Dharma Treasure House?
- Still photography for personal use is fine, but tripods, flash and video are to be avoided inside the galleries.
Basic Information
| Name | Kosanji Temple Dharma Treasure House |
|---|---|
| Location | 553-2 Setoda, Setoda-cho, Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on 2003/9/19 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber structure, tiled roof, building area 180 square metres |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Kosanji Temple |
| Public Access | Open as the museum's third gallery during opening hours |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Kosanji Temple Dharma Treasure House (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003591
- Guide to the Halls and Pagodas (Kosanji Museum)
- https://www.kousanji.or.jp/map.html
- On Photography (Kosanji Museum)
- https://www.kousanji.or.jp/news/photograph-manners/
Last verified: 2026.09.14
