What the Main Hall Is
Kosanji Temple Main Hall is a Buddhist hall of 1941 standing on the highest terrace of Kosanji Temple in Setoda, Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, and it was entered on the national register of Tangible Cultural Properties in 2003. A central block carries wing corridors to left and right, with a tail corridor behind, following the Phoenix Hall of Byodoin at Uji.
It is a single-storey timber building with tiled roofs and a building area of 271 square metres. Every roof is laid in Hongawarabuki, the round-and-flat tiling of old temple work. Because it sits at the head of the final flight of steps, it is the last building a visitor meets. A broad terrace of white marble spreads in front of it, its face carved with auspicious flowers and birds.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs commentary treats the Main Hall as the core building of the temple. Set beside the Phoenix Hall it followed, much of the detail differs, and both inside and out the ornament is laid on more thickly.
Why It Was Registered
The Main Hall of Kosanji Temple was registered under the criterion covering work that could not easily be reproduced. It holds to the plan and framing conventions of Fujiwara-period temple architecture while going beyond its model in the quantity of colouring and metal fittings, and that combination is what the criterion recognised.
Polychrome runs across the columns, the wall surfaces and the fittings, and gilt metalwork is used throughout. A timber hall finished to this degree was demanding work even in the early Showa years. The founder, Kosanji Kozo, welded and manufactured steel pipe in Osaka, and having a patron at ease with metalwork is part of the background to the finish.
Registration is a different system from designation. The Main Hall was registered on 19 September 2003, gazetted on 17 October of the same year, and carries registration number 34-0053.
What to Look For
Start with the relationship between the central block and the wings. They run out symmetrically, but they are not shaped as the Phoenix Hall shaped them: the roof falls differently and the proportions of each part have been reset. The way hipped, gabled, hip-and-gable and skirt roofs meet within one building reads more clearly from an angle than head on.
Close up, the surfaces of the Kumimono carry scrolling hosoge flowers and graded ungen colouring. The heavy chamfers on the bracket arms and the Taruki can be checked at arm's reach. From a distance the paint reads as bands of red and green; near to, it resolves into steps of tone laid one against the next.
The white marble of the terrace sets up a hard contrast with the painted hall when you face it squarely. On a clear morning, light bounces off the stone into the eaves and flattens the shadows among the brackets. Come in the afternoon, when the light rakes across, if you want to read the carving.
Visiting the Main Hall
The interior of Kosanji Temple Main Hall is closed and cannot be entered. Viewing is from the outside only.
The marble terrace takes in the central block and both wings at once, but for the overlapping roofs it is better to move east or west and look up from an angle. Walking on to the Tahoto Pagoda or the Octagonal Hall gives a slightly raised view back over the Main Hall.
Photography for personal enjoyment is permitted, including posting on a personal social media account or blog. Commercial use without permission is not allowed, and drones are banned on the grounds. Directions, opening hours and admission apply to the whole precinct and are set out on the Kosanji Temple page.
Q&A
- Can you go inside Kosanji Temple Main Hall?
- No. The interior is closed, so viewing is from the outside only.
- What building was Kosanji Temple Main Hall modelled on?
- The Phoenix Hall of Byodoin at Uji, Kyoto, although the proportions and the roof differ in many places and it is not a copy.
- When was Kosanji Temple Main Hall built and registered?
- It dates from 1941 and was entered on the register of Tangible Cultural Properties on 19 September 2003.
- How large is Kosanji Temple Main Hall?
- It is a single-storey timber building with tiled roofs covering 271 square metres, made up of a central hall, two wing corridors and a tail corridor.
- Is photography allowed at Kosanji Temple Main Hall?
- Yes, for personal enjoyment and for posting on a personal blog or social media account. Commercial use without permission is not allowed.
Basic Information
| Name | Kosanji Temple Main Hall |
|---|---|
| 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 271 square metres |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Kosanji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable during opening hours; interior closed |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Kosanji Temple Main Hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003595
- 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
