A Rare Hall of Two Joined Roofs
The Hontokuji Temple Chushudo Hall (本徳寺中宗堂) is a composite Buddhist hall of 1898 in Kameyama, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on January 31, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber hall with a tiled roof, covering 155 square metres; registration number 28-0116.
A Hall Combining Front and Rear Chambers
The Chushudo Hall of Hontokuji combines a front chamber under a hip-and-gable roof, entered on the long side, with a rear chamber under a two-tiered pyramidal roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The front chamber has a one-bay porch, and the whole is roofed in hongawara tiles.
It rebuilt an earlier hall lost to fire at the end of the Edo period, and is the work of the ninth Ito Heizaemon, a master carpenter (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design, one of the few surviving chushudo halls and a fine example of a full-scale composite hall with inner and outer sanctuaries.
What to Look For
Look at how the hip-and-gable roof of the front joins the two-tiered pyramidal roof behind (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Hontokuji Temple, and no official information on visiting was found.
Q&A
- When was the Chushudo Hall built?
- In 1898 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who built it?
- The ninth Ito Heizaemon, a master carpenter.
- What form does it take?
- A front chamber joined to a rear chamber with a two-tiered roof.
- Why is it valuable?
- Few chushudo halls survive.
- When was the Hontokuji Temple Chushudo Hall registered?
- On January 31, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Hontokuji Temple Chushudo Hall (本徳寺中宗堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 324 Kameyama, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/01/31 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 155 m² |
| Owner | Hontokuji Temple (Religious Corporation) |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Hontokuji Temple Chushudo Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003130
Last verified: 2026.10.17