What Is Koryuji Temple Earthen Wall?
Koryuji Temple Earthen Wall (高龍寺土塀, Kōryū-ji Dobei) is the tiled, plastered wall along the north edge of the precinct of Koryuji, a Soto Zen temple in Funamicho, Hakodate, Hokkaido; built around 1917, it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2012. It extends on both sides from the flanking walls of the Main Gate (Sodobei) and forms the temple's street frontage.
The wall is 53 meters long in total, 23.7 meters on the east side and 29.2 meters on the west, and 3.7 meters high. It stands on a podium of coursed stone. The walls are finished in white lime plaster (Shikkui) over exposed timber posts (Shinkabe), with a lower skirt of clapboarding held by vertical battens. The roof is laid with pantiles, and the ridge is built up with tiles arranged in the seigaiha wave pattern.
Why the Earthen Wall Matters
Koryuji Temple Earthen Wall was completed a few years after the Main Gate and its flanking walls of around 1910. Taken together, the north side of the precinct is one continuous line of walls in different materials: the gate at the center, the flanking walls, the earthen wall, and to the west the brick firebreak wall. Within that line, the earthen wall's white plaster and clapboard keep the frontage in step with the timber gate and halls.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs highlights the wave-pattern tiles on the ridge, which give the wall a quiet dignity. At 3.7 meters the wall rises above the eye level of passers-by, screening the precinct while setting off the gate.
What to Look for at the Earthen Wall
At Koryuji Temple Earthen Wall, look up at the ridge first. The seigaiha pattern, overlapping half-circles like stylized waves, gives the top edge of the wall a fine rhythm.
Then look down. Below the white plaster runs the clapboard skirt, pinned by narrow vertical battens, and beneath that the stone podium. From top to bottom you can read four layers: ridge, plaster wall, clapboard, and stone base.
Notice too that the two sides are not equal. The west side is about 5.5 meters longer, so the gate is not set exactly in the middle of the frontage.
Visiting Koryuji Temple Earthen Wall
Koryuji Temple Earthen Wall faces the street and can be seen from the pavement at any time. From the opposite side of the street you can take in the gate and the walls on both sides in one view.
Watch for traffic when taking photographs, since the wall runs right along the road, and please do not touch the plaster or the clapboards. Directions and opening hours for the whole temple are on the Koryuji Temple page.
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Q&A
- Where is Koryuji Temple Earthen Wall?
- Along the north edge of the precinct, continuing on both sides from the flanking walls of the Main Gate. It faces the street and can be seen from the pavement.
- How long and tall is Koryuji Temple Earthen Wall?
- It is 53 meters long in total, 23.7 meters on the east side and 29.2 meters on the west, and 3.7 meters high.
- When was Koryuji Temple Earthen Wall built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to around 1917.
- What is the wave pattern on the ridge of Koryuji Temple Earthen Wall?
- It is the seigaiha pattern, made by laying tiles in overlapping wave shapes.
- How is Koryuji Temple Earthen Wall different from the firebreak wall?
- The earthen wall is a traditional plastered and clapboarded wall flanking the Main Gate. The firebreak wall is a brick wall built against fire, enclosing the east side and the western part of the north side.
Basic Information
| Name | Koryuji Temple Earthen Wall (高龍寺土塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 21-3 Funamicho, Hakodate City, Hokkaido |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2012 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | 53 meters in total length (east side 23.7 meters, west side 29.2 meters); 3.7 meters high |
| Owner | Koryuji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Visible from the pavement at all times |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Koryuji Earthen Wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009110
- Cultural Heritage Online: Koryuji Earthen Wall (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/243583
- Guide to Koryuji, a Showpiece of Traditional Japanese Architecture (Hakobura, Hakodate official tourism site, Japanese)
- https://www.hakobura.jp/features/107
Last verified: 2026.10.02
