A Corridor with Two Lanes
The Shorinbo Connecting Corridor (照林坊渡り廊下, Shōrinbō Watari-rōka) is a late Edo-period covered passage linking the main hall and the priests' quarters of Shorinbo in Miyoshi-machi, Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 25 July 2011.
It runs straight west from the back of the main hall to the kuri, the priests' residence. It is 21 metres long and 2.9 metres wide, with a building area of 60 square metres: a single-storey timber structure under a two-sided roof laid with standard pantiles (Sangawara-buki).
Its job is simple, to let the priest's family move between home and hall without getting wet. What makes the Shorinbo Connecting Corridor worth a closer look is how much more care went into it than that job requires.
Why It Was Registered
The corridor was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles it out as a building that hints at the temple's high standing.
The reason is that it is really two corridors. A plastered wall runs down the middle, dividing the passage into a northern and a southern lane, and the division continues even beneath the floor, where a second wall carries the line down to the ground. According to the Miyoshi Tourism Promotion Organization, one side was for the clergy and the other for lay people. The building itself keeps up a rule about who walks where.
Late Edo-period corridors seldom survive unaltered. At Shorinbo, where the layout has not changed since the Edo period, this one still holds its original place as the hinge between the hall and the household.
What to Look At
A raised floor and railings
The floor is set high off the ground, and a railing (Kōran) runs along the line of the outer posts. Railings like this belong to buildings of some formality; walking the Shorinbo Connecting Corridor means walking a step above the courtyard, hand on the rail.
An open rafter ceiling
Instead of a boarded ceiling, the rafters and roof boards are left exposed. The slope of the roof becomes the shape of the ceiling, and looking down the 21-metre length you see the rafters repeat in a steady rhythm.
Bell-shaped windows
The dividing wall is finished in white lime plaster (Shikkui) and pierced by Katōmado, windows whose tops curve like the outline of a temple bell. The form is thought to have spread from Zen temple architecture, and the local tourism organization calls them bell windows. Through them you can sense the other lane without entering it.
A division that goes all the way down
The central wall does not stop at floor level. Carrying the partition into the hidden space under the floor suggests the builders meant the two lanes to be separate in structure as well as in use.
Visiting
The Shorinbo Connecting Corridor lies between the main hall and the priests' residence and is not open to the public; as of October 2026 we found no announcement of tours. Because it leads into the family's home, please do not try to enter.
We could not confirm how much of the railings and roof can be seen from the grounds. The national Database of Cultural Properties has a photograph showing the raised floor and railing clearly.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hiroshima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Shorinbo Connecting Corridor
- [ Itsukushima Shrine & Hiroshima Peace Memorial ]
Q&A
- When was the Shorinbo Connecting Corridor built?
- It dates from the late Edo period. No exact year appears in the published records.
- Where is the Shorinbo Connecting Corridor?
- It runs east to west from the back of Shorinbo's main hall to the priests' quarters, joining the two buildings.
- What is special about the Shorinbo Connecting Corridor?
- It is a double corridor, split into two lanes by a plastered wall with bell-shaped katomado windows, and the dividing wall continues under the floor. The floor is raised, the outer side has railings, and the rafters are left exposed overhead.
- Why is the Shorinbo Connecting Corridor a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on 25 July 2011 for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a building that reflects the temple's high standing.
- Can visitors walk through the Shorinbo Connecting Corridor?
- No. It leads to the private residence of the priest's family, and as of October 2026 no public access had been announced.
Basic Information
| Name | Shorinbo Connecting Corridor (照林坊渡り廊下) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1280 Miyoshi-machi, Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/7/25 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof, building area 60 square metres (21 metres by 2.9 metres) |
| Owner | Shorinbo (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Shorinbo Connecting Corridor (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008779
- Cultural Heritage Online: Shorinbo Connecting Corridor (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/233240
Last verified: 2026.10.07
