A Wing of an Imperial Rest House of 1909
The Shingyoji Temple Shoin (Attendants' Hall of the Wakura Gobinden) (信行寺書院（和倉御便殿供奉殿）, Shingyō-ji shoin) is the attendants' wing of a rest house built in 1909 for the Crown Prince's visit to Wakura Onsen, later moved to Shingyoji in Wakuramachi, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 27, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 106 square metres, moved in 1960 and 1973; registration number 17-272, owned by the religious corporation Shingyoji.
An Imperial Rest House
A gobinden was a rest house built for members of the imperial family on official tours of the provinces. According to the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual descriptions, Crown Prince Yoshihito, the future Emperor Taisho, stopped at the Wakura Onsen rest house on September 27, 1909, to rest, take lunch and bathe. Most such buildings were put up for a single visit and then taken down.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs states that the rest house had a main hall and an attendants' hall joined by a corridor. The main hall, including the Prince's own room, was moved to nearby Seirinji, where it became the Seirinji guest hall and was registered on the same day.
Why It Was Registered
The Shingyoji Temple Shoin was registered as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a rare surviving example of an imperial rest house.
A press release reported by the Hokkaido Shimbun describes the Wakura rest house as the only surviving example of its kind in Japan.
What to Look For
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, rooms of 12.5, 15 and 8 tatami mats run from west to east along the south side of the former corridor that joined the main hall, with a veranda along part of the south side. The plan preserves the hall used by the Prince's retinue.
Restoration and Visiting
According to the press release reported by the Hokkaido Shimbun, an AXA foundation (アクサ・ヒューマン・プログレス財団) and the World Monuments Fund, working with Nanao City and the Wakura Onsen Tourism Association, are restoring the Seirinji guest hall and the Shingyoji shoin as part of aid for heritage damaged in the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, with completion planned for spring 2027.
No public opening of the Shingyoji Temple Shoin has been announced. The address is So-16, Wakuramachi, Nanao City.
Q&A
- When was the Shingyoji Temple Shoin built?
- In 1909 for the Crown Prince's visit; it was moved in 1960 and 1973 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is a gobinden?
- A rest house built for members of the imperial family on provincial tours; the Wakura one had a main hall and an attendants' hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Japan Tourism Agency).
- How is the building laid out?
- Rooms of 12.5, 15 and 8 tatami mats in a row along the south side of the former corridor (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit the Shingyoji Temple Shoin?
- No public opening has been announced; restoration after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake is due to finish in spring 2027 (Hokkaido Shimbun).
- When was the Shingyoji Temple Shoin registered?
- On October 27, 2017, the same day as the Seirinji guest hall, the former main hall.
Basic Information
| Name | Shingyoji Temple Shoin (Attendants' Hall of the Wakura Gobinden) (信行寺書院（和倉御便殿供奉殿）) |
|---|---|
| Location | So-16 and others, Wakuramachi, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/10/27 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 106 square metres |
| Owner | Shingyoji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (under restoration, due spring 2027) |
References
- Shingyoji Temple Shoin (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011938
- Seirinji guest hall, former main hall of the Wakura Gobinden (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011937
- Wakura Gobinden restoration project (Hokkaido Shimbun, Japanese)
- https://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1363463/
- Seirinji Gobinden (Japan Tourism Agency multilingual descriptions, Japanese)
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/common/001653743.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.14