What Is the Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall?
The Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall (清水寺客殿, Kiyomizu-dera Kyakuden) is a building for receiving visitors, attached to the Honbo of Banshu Kiyomizudera on Mount Mitake in Hiraki, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture; it was built in 1917 and entered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 7, 1999.
It was built together with the Honbo after the fire of 1913, as part of Takeda Goichi's plan for rebuilding the whole mountain. At 90 square meters, the Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall is the smallest of the five buildings registered together. It stands between the Honbo and the Great Lecture Hall, a building running east to west and joined by a covered corridor to the large hall of the Honbo.
Why the Guest Hall Was Registered
The Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for being a model of form. What the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out is its roof: a low, flat hip-and-gable roof that contrasts sharply with the great roof of the Honbo and, in the Agency's words, expresses the character of the building.
The Honbo gathers the temple office and daily life under one big gabled roof. The Guest Hall keeps its roof low and settled, as befits a building for receiving guests. Within a single design, the two roles are distinguished by roof form.
What to Look For at the Guest Hall
Three Rooms and Verandas on Three Sides
According to the Agency, the Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall has three rooms, with verandas on the south, east and west and a corridor along the north. The rooms run in a line from east to west, opened to the sunny south and both ends by verandas, while the north corridor keeps circulation apart. It is a layout for guests, letting them look out over the verandas.
A Guest Hall with a Bath
At the east end, on the north side, a toilet and a bathroom project from the building. With washing facilities of its own, the Guest Hall was more than a reception room; it appears to have been planned for guests who might stay on the mountain. From the approach, the projection at the north of the east end is this service wing.
The covered corridor from the Honbo's large hall is another clue. Picture guests entering at the Honbo's porch and being led along the corridor to the Guest Hall, and the relationship between the two buildings falls into place.
Visiting the Guest Hall
The exterior of the Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall can be seen from the approach between the Honbo and the Great Lecture Hall during temple hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m. Kato City lists the Guest Hall as open to the public, but the temple does not announce general access to the interior.
The low hip-and-gable roof reads best side by side with the large gabled roof of the Honbo. For questions about the interior or photography, contact the temple. 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 Guest Hall built?
- It was built in 1917, together with the Honbo, under Takeda Goichi's plan for rebuilding the whole mountain after the fire of 1913.
- Why is the Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on June 7, 1999, as a model of form. Its low, flat hip-and-gable roof, in contrast to the great roof of the Honbo, is seen as expressing its role as a building for guests.
- What is the layout of the Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall?
- It has three rooms, with verandas on the south, east and west sides and a corridor on the north. A toilet and bathroom project from the north side of the east end. It covers 90 square meters.
- How is the Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall connected to the Honbo?
- It stands between the Honbo and the Great Lecture Hall and is joined by a covered corridor to the Honbo's large hall.
- Can visitors go inside the Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall?
- No general access to the interior is announced by the temple. The exterior can be seen from the approach during temple hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Contact the temple with questions about the interior.
Basic Information
| Name | Kiyomizudera Temple Guest 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 90 square meters |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Kiyomizudera Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the approach during temple hours (admission fee); no general interior access announced |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001135
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/147745
- Kato City: Kiyomizudera Temple Guest Hall (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kato.lg.jp/kakukanogoannai/kyouikushinkoubu/shogaigakushuka/bunkazai/siteibunkazai/tourokuyuukeibunkazai/1545445731473.html
- Banshu Kiyomizudera Official Website: Grounds Map and Admission (Japanese)
- https://kiyomizudera.net/
Last verified: 2026.10.04
