What the Tahoto Pagoda Is
Kosanji Temple Tahoto Pagoda is a pagoda of 1942 standing west of the Main Hall on the upper terrace of Kosanji Temple in Setoda, Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2003. It is timber work with copper-sheet roofs, covering 25 square metres.
The lower storey is three bays square with a veranda running round it. The upper body is circular in plan, and brackets stepping out four times carry double rows of rafters. Both roofs are laid in copper sheet. A seated Dainichi Nyorai is enshrined inside.
The model is the tahoto of Ishiyamadera at Otsu in Shiga Prefecture. The Agency for Cultural Affairs commentary calls this pagoda relatively faithful to the original while noting that colouring applied to the brackets gives the exterior its own character.
Why It Was Registered
Kosanji Temple Tahoto Pagoda was registered under the criterion for work not easily reproduced. The tahoto form itself is a difficult thing to resolve, joining a square lower storey to a round upper one in a single structure, and building one new in 1942 is what the criterion recognises.
The temple names one departure from the original. At Ishiyamadera the struts between the brackets on the lower storey are plain square posts; here they have been changed to Kaerumata, the broad shaped members whose outline flares to either side. Same position, entirely different effect.
Placement is part of the story too. The pagoda is set opposite the Octagonal Hall with the Main Hall between them, and both are turned forty-five degrees off the central axis of the precinct. The temple describes this arrangement as without parallel at a Japanese temple or shrine. It was registered on 19 September 2003 under number 34-0054.
What to Look For
Begin with the angle it stands at. Walk straight up the path and the pagoda never faces you. It enters the view askew, and the faces you see exchange places as you move. That unsettled quality is the effect of the forty-five degree turn.
Then look at how the two storeys join. Above the square lower storey sits a white plastered dome, and the round upper body rises from it. The passage from square to circle is the heart of a tahoto, and it reads most clearly as a silhouette from some way off.
Look up at the upper eaves and the brackets step forward in four stages to carry the double rafter rows. Because the plan is circular, the brackets radiate, and shifting your position a little changes how they overlap.
The roofs are copper sheet, a change of colour and texture after a run of tiled halls. Aged copper takes on green, which plays against the painted brackets. Raking light on a clear day brings that contrast out.
Visiting the Tahoto Pagoda
The interior of Kosanji Temple Tahoto Pagoda is closed and cannot be entered. Viewing is from the outside.
Walking west from the marble terrace in front of the Main Hall brings the pagoda into view on the diagonal. Stand back for the silhouette; come close to the base for the bracketing. With your back to the Main Hall you can hold the pagoda and the Octagonal Hall opposite in one view.
Photography for personal enjoyment is permitted, including on a personal blog or social media account. Commercial use without permission is not allowed. The precinct is on a slope with many stone steps, so watch your footing. Opening hours and admission are set out on the Kosanji Temple page.
Q&A
- Can you go inside Kosanji Temple Tahoto Pagoda?
- No. The interior is closed and viewing is from the outside only.
- Why does Kosanji Temple Tahoto Pagoda stand at an angle?
- It and the Octagonal Hall opposite are both turned forty-five degrees off the central axis of the precinct, with the Main Hall between them.
- What was Kosanji Temple Tahoto Pagoda modelled on?
- The tahoto of Ishiyamadera at Otsu in Shiga Prefecture, with the plain struts of the lower storey replaced by shaped kaerumata.
- What are the roofs of Kosanji Temple Tahoto Pagoda made of?
- Copper sheet on both storeys, which sets it apart from the tiled halls around it.
- What is enshrined in Kosanji Temple Tahoto Pagoda?
- A seated figure of Dainichi Nyorai, though the interior is closed and it cannot be seen from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Kosanji Temple Tahoto Pagoda |
|---|---|
| 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 | Timber tahoto pagoda, copper-sheet roof, building area 25 square metres |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Kosanji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable during opening hours; interior closed |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Kosanji Temple Tahoto Pagoda (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003596
- 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
