What Is the Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall?
The Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall (清水寺大講堂, Kiyomizu-dera Daikōdō) is the hall of the pilgrimage image at Banshu Kiyomizudera, stop 25 on the Saigoku pilgrimage, on Mount Mitake in Hiraki, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture; it was rebuilt in 1917 and entered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 7, 1999.
The temple's history says the first Daikodo was built in 725, when Emperor Shomu had the monk Gyoki raise it. The previous hall burned in 1913, and the temple dates the rebuilding to July 1917, under the same plan by Takeda Goichi that produced the Konpon Chudo. The Great Lecture Hall faces south at the foot of the stairway below the Konpon Chudo and covers 424 square meters.
Why the Great Lecture Hall Was Registered
The Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for being a model of form. The Agency for Cultural Affairs quotes a record saying the hall was designed to take in a good deal of the style seen in buildings of the late Heian period. In other words, its Taisho-era designer deliberately looked back to temple halls of the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
The hall is seven bays wide under a pyramidal roof laid with interlocking hongawara tiles. It sits on a stone-built platform; its bracket sets are of the Degumi type, projecting one step forward from the post, and its eaves have two layers of closely spaced rafters. A veranda with a railing runs along three sides, all but the north.
What to Look For at the Great Lecture Hall
A Pyramidal Roof on a Stone Platform
The roof of the Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall rises from all four eaves to a single peak. On a hall seven bays across, that pyramid makes the building read as one compact mass as you approach along the path. The tall stone platform lifts the hall, and the railed veranda on the front and sides draws a level line across it.
Under the eaves, look up at the bracket sets stepping out from the posts and at the double rows of rafters. Only the north side lacks a veranda, and behind the hall the ground leads straight to the stairway up to the Konpon Chudo.
The Pilgrimage Image and Benkei's Go Board
According to Meguri, the Tendai school's temple guide, the Great Lecture Hall enshrines a seated Thousand-Armed Kannon, the image venerated by Saigoku pilgrims, flanked by standing figures of Bishamonten and Jizo. Jizo is an unusual companion for a Thousand-Armed Kannon, and the temple explains it by the mountain's old fame as a place of Jizo worship. The shrine doors are kept open so visitors can see the image.
Also in the sanctuary is a go board linked to the warrior-monk Benkei. The story goes that he lost a game to the abbot and, in his frustration, ground a black stone into the board. Enjoy it as a temple tale.
Visiting the Great Lecture Hall
The Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall is open for worship during temple hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m. It stands at the end of the approach from the Nio Gate. As the pilgrimage hall, it is where the temple's website says stamp books and amulets are offered, and temple services such as the autumn equinox memorial are held here.
The temple has not published a policy on photography inside the hall, so check the notices or ask at the counter. To reach the Konpon Chudo, climb the 80 steps beside the hall. Directions to the temple and admission fees are gathered on the Kiyomizudera Temple (Kato) page.
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Q&A
- When was the Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall built?
- It was built in 1917; the temple dates the rebuilding to July of that year, after the previous hall burned in 1913. The temple's history traces the first hall to 725 under Emperor Shomu.
- Why is the Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on June 7, 1999, as a model of form. It is a seven-bay hall under a tiled pyramidal roof, said to have been designed to draw heavily on late Heian temple architecture.
- What is enshrined in the Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall?
- According to Meguri, the Tendai school's temple guide, a seated Thousand-Armed Kannon, the image of the 25th Saigoku pilgrimage stop, flanked by standing Bishamonten and Jizo.
- What are the architectural features of the Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall?
- It is a seven-bay hall on a stone platform with a pyramidal roof of hongawara tiles, degumi bracket sets, double rafters and a railed veranda on three sides. It covers 424 square meters.
- Can I get a pilgrimage stamp at the Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall?
- The Great Lecture Hall is the hall of the 25th Saigoku pilgrimage stop, and the temple's website says stamp books and amulets are offered there. Visit within temple hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Basic Information
| Name | Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall |
|---|---|
| Location | 1194 Hiraki, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered June 7, 1999 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 424 square meters |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Kiyomizudera Temple |
| Public Access | Open for worship during temple hours (admission fee); houses the pilgrimage image |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001132
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/166442
- Kato City: Kiyomizudera Temple Great Lecture Hall (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kato.lg.jp/kakukanogoannai/kyouikushinkoubu/shogaigakushuka/bunkazai/siteibunkazai/tourokuyuukeibunkazai/1545443396610.html
- Banshu Kiyomizudera Official Website: Grounds Map and Admission (Japanese)
- https://kiyomizudera.net/
- Banshu Kiyomizudera Official Website: Temple History (Japanese)
- https://kiyomizudera.net/enki
- Meguri (Tendai School): Banshu Kiyomizudera (Japanese)
- https://www.1200meguri.jp/places/56
Last verified: 2026.10.04
