What is Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall?
Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall (明覚寺鐘堂, Myōkaku-ji Shōdō) is a small bell house built in 1892 in the precinct of Myokakuji, a Shin Buddhist temple in Kisa, Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024. It stands southeast of the main hall, close to the street, and houses the temple's Bonshō bronze bell.
The building is one bay square and sits on a raised stone platform. Its hip-and-gable roof is covered in pantiles, with the ridge running north to south. The floor area is 6.8 square meters, and the hall was altered in the mid-Showa period.
Four leaning columns
The frame of Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall rests on four round columns set on foundation stones. All four lean slightly inward as they rise, a technique known as Uchikorobi. They are tied together by a low rail near the base and a head tie beam at the top.
Above the columns sit three-block bracket sets (Mitsudo-gumi), and in the gap between each pair of columns is a Kaerumata, the splayed "frog-leg" block that is one of the most recognizable ornaments of Japanese temple carpentry. The eaves have a single layer of closely spaced rafters. Inside, a Saobuchi-tenjō board ceiling closes off the roof space, and the bell hangs beneath it.
Stand square to the front and compare the left and right columns, and the inward lean becomes visible.
Bell hall, not bell tower
Japanese temple bells are often hung in a Shōrō, usually translated as bell tower. The registered name of this building, however, is shōdō, literally bell hall. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall is a one-bay structure with a ceiling, under which the bell is suspended.
Hiroshima Prefecture's recommendation document uses the word shōrō once in its running text, but both the national database and the prefecture's list of cultural properties enter the building under the name shōdō.
Why Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall was registered
The bell hall was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency notes that it stands facing the street and helps create the historic character of the area.
In Miyoshi City's announcement photo, taken from the street, the bell hall appears to the left of the gate, its hip-and-gable roof beside the gate's simple gable. What the mid-Showa alterations involved has not been made public.
Seeing Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall
Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall stands near the street, and its exterior can be seen from the road. To study the frog-leg blocks and the rafters, move close to the eaves and look up; the Agency's photo set includes an eaves view supplied by the Miyoshi City Board of Education.
The temple has not published whether visitors may strike the bell. Please do not touch it, and ask at the temple if you would like to ring it. Directions are on the Myokakuji page.
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Q&A
- When was Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall built?
- It was built in 1892 and altered in the mid-Showa period.
- What does Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall look like?
- It is a one-bay-square building on a stone platform with a pantiled hip-and-gable roof and a floor area of 6.8 square meters. Its four round columns lean inward, the bracketing combines three-block sets with frog-leg blocks, and the bell hangs below a board ceiling.
- Why is Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. It faces the street and, together with the gate, shapes the historic character of the area. It was registered on March 6, 2024.
- Is Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall a bell tower?
- Its registered name is shōdō, bell hall, rather than shōrō, bell tower. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a one-bay structure with a ceiling, under which the bell hangs.
- Can I ring the bell at Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall or take photographs?
- No official guidance on ringing the bell or on photography has been published. The exterior can be seen from the street, but please check with the temple before touching the bell or photographing inside the precinct.
Basic Information
| Name | Myokakuji Temple Bell Hall |
|---|---|
| Location | 462 Kisa, Kisamachi, Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | March 6, 2024 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Floor area 6.8 m² |
| Owner | Myokakuji Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street; ask the temple about ringing the bell and photography |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Myokakuji Bell Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014948
- Cultural Heritage Online: Myokakuji Bell Hall
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/553988
- Hiroshima Prefecture press release on the registration recommendation (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/556362.pdf
- Hiroshima Prefecture: list of cultural properties in Miyoshi City (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/591373.pdf
- Miyoshi City press release on the registration of Myokakuji (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.miyoshi.hiroshima.jp/uploaded/attachment/19419.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.08
