A Hall for the Fire Ritual
The Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall (萩原寺護摩堂) is a hall for fire rituals of the early Edo period (1615 to 1661) in Hagiwara, Onohara-cho, Kannonji City, Kagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 19, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records construction in the early Edo period and renovations in 1725, around 1935 and in 1983, and describes a single-storey timber building with a tile roof and a building area of 54 square metres; registration number 37-0402.
The Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall was built for goma, the esoteric fire ritual. On the temple map the building is also labelled Daishido, the hall of Kobo Daishi (temple leaflet).
A Pyramidal Front with a Gabled Sanctum Behind
The Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall stands at the foot of the hill in the centre of the precinct, facing south (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its outer hall is 3 bays square under a pyramidal hogyo roof; behind it projects an inner sanctum with a gabled roof, and a 1-bay canopy shelters the front.
The square columns of the outer hall have broad chamfers and carry simple Funahijiki bracket arms under the purlins, and the eaves are pushed far out in the manner called segai-zukuri (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The two roof forms mark two different spaces: the outer hall for worshippers and the inner sanctum for the rite itself.
Why It Was Registered
The Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country (Agency for Cultural Affairs). What the Agency stresses is beneath the floor of the inner sanctum: a fire altar built of piled stone, which keeps an old form of devotion.
The council report also names the deep segai eaves and the stone altar as the hall's defining features. The temple leaflet describes the onza goma, a fire rite handed down at Hagiwaraji, as one of its best-known observances.
What to Look For
Walk round to the side of the Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall to see how the roofs meet: the pyramidal roof over the outer hall rises to a single point, and the gabled roof of the sanctum runs on behind it.
Look too at the broad chamfers of the columns, the bracket arms on top of them and the depth of the eaves. The temple calendar lists an onza goma service on January 1 to 3 and a Setsubun goma rite on February 3.
Visiting
The Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall stands in the middle of the precinct at the foot of the hill below the main hall, and its exterior can be seen from the grounds. No official information was found on access to the interior or on attending the rites. Directions to the temple and its yearly events are gathered on the Hagiwaraji Temple page.
Q&A
- When was the Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall built?
- In the early Edo period, with renovations in 1725, around 1935 and in 1983 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Is the Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall the same as the Daishido?
- The temple map labels this building with both names (temple leaflet).
- What is inside the Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall sanctum?
- A fire altar of piled stone set beneath the floor of the inner sanctum (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What shape is the roof of the Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall?
- A pyramidal roof over the outer hall and a gabled roof over the sanctum behind, with deep segai eaves (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall registered?
- On December 19, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall (萩原寺護摩堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2737-1 Hagiwara, Onohara-cho, Kannonji City, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered December 19, 2014 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tile roof, building area 54 m² |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Hagiwaraji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the grounds; no official information on interior access |
References
- Hagiwaraji Temple Goma Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010362
- Registration of Tangible Cultural Properties (Structures), Council for Cultural Affairs report of July 18, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/bunkasingi_tousin_140718.pdf
- Hagiwaraji Temple leaflet (published by Kannonji City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kanonji.kagawa.jp/uploaded/life/14742_25398_misc.pdf
Last verified: 2026.11.01
