What Is Koryuji Temple Main Hall?
Koryuji Temple Main Hall (高龍寺本堂, Kōryū-ji Hondō) is the principal worship hall of Koryuji, a Soto Zen temple in Funamicho, Hakodate, Hokkaido; it was built in 1899 and became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2012. It stands at the back of the precinct facing north, so the great roof fills the view as soon as you step through the Main Gate.
The hall is a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a footprint of 526 square meters. It measures nine bays across and eight bays deep under a hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) roof of pantiles (Sangawara-buki), with a projecting entrance porch (Kōhai) at the front. Lean-to eaves (Geya) and a veranda run around the outside, and covered corridors attach on the east and west. The principal image is Shakyamuni Buddha, enshrined as a triad on the altar platform (Shumidan).
Sources differ slightly on the date. The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives 1899, while the temple says construction began in 1894 and finished in 1900, and Hakodate City's townscape survey also gives 1900. The work stretched over several years, which probably explains why the completion year varies.
Why Koryuji Temple Main Hall Was Registered
Koryuji Temple Main Hall was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out the massive, generously proportioned timber frame of its nine-room interior, and the fact that master builder Shinoda Sokichi and other craftsmen from Echigo (today's Niigata Prefecture) worked on it. It describes the building as a large, richly decorated modern hall of the Soto school.
The temple says the hall uses 39 round pillars of zelkova (keyaki), each about 42 centimeters across. Hakodate's official tourism site identifies the master builder as the fourth Shinoda Sokichi and says his team of carpenters, carvers, and metal casters from Kashiwazaki shipped the timber up from Echigo. Those pillars are the first thing you notice inside.
The great fire of 1907 burned much of Hakodate, but the Main Hall survived it and remains the centerpiece of the temple as rebuilt after its move. It was repaired in 1986, 1996, and 1999, and an extension was added in 1988.
What to Look for at the Main Hall
From outside, watch the layering of the roofs. Below the main hip-and-gable roof, a second skirt of eaves wraps around the front and sides, so the hall reads as two-tiered; Hakodate City calls this lower roof a Mokoshi. The front porch carries fine carving. Compare it with the Main Gate, cut by the same Echigo lineage a decade later, and the Main Hall's decoration looks noticeably more restrained.
Inside, the mood changes. Thick zelkova columns and beams divide the space, and the gilded altar glints at the far end. The interior is split into nine rooms, and counting the rows of pillars as you move inward, the hall feels far deeper than it looks from the gate.
The east and west corridors tie the Main Hall to the Kaizando and the priests' quarters. In winter the hall is wrapped in snow screens, a reminder that this is a working temple in Japan's far north.
Visiting Koryuji Temple Main Hall
The exterior of Koryuji Temple Main Hall can be seen whenever the grounds are open; for the whole facade in one view, stand just inside the Main Gate. To go inside, ask at the reception desk in the priests' quarters and you will be led through a corridor into the hall. The interior may be closed while a service is under way.
One room, the Shinzen-no-ma, is left open as a place where anyone may sit in zazen, and temple seal stamps are given after you have paid your respects here. The temple's notices do not say whether photography is allowed inside, so ask at reception. Directions and opening hours for the whole temple are on the Koryuji Temple page.
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Q&A
- When was Koryuji Temple Main Hall built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives 1899. The temple says work began in 1894 and finished in 1900, so sources differ by about a year.
- Can visitors go inside Koryuji Temple Main Hall?
- Yes. Ask at the reception desk in the priests' quarters. The temple lists worship hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and there is no admission charge. Entry may be refused during services.
- Why is Koryuji Temple Main Hall a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It is a large, richly decorated modern Soto Zen hall built by craftsmen from Echigo, judged to contribute to the historic landscape. It was registered in 2012.
- What wood was used for Koryuji Temple Main Hall?
- According to the temple, the hall is built of zelkova throughout, including 39 round pillars about 42 centimeters in diameter.
- Can I try zazen meditation at Koryuji Temple Main Hall?
- The Shinzen-no-ma room in the hall is open for anyone to sit. Guided zazen sessions are held at one of the temple's other branches, so check the temple's notices for details.
Basic Information
| Name | Koryuji Temple Main Hall (高龍寺本堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 21-1 Funamicho, Hakodate City, Hokkaido, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2012 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 526 square meters; 9 by 8 bays |
| Owner | Koryuji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the grounds; interior on request at reception (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., free) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Koryuji Main Hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009101
- Cultural Heritage Online: Koryuji Main Hall (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/176544
- Designated Townscape Buildings (Hakodate City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.hakodate.hokkaido.jp/docs/2014021000244/
- A Walk Around the Funamicho Precinct (Kokkasan Koryuji official site, Japanese)
- https://www.kokkasan.org/halls
- 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
