The Main Hall on the Eastern Hill
The Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall (萩原寺本堂) is a Shingon Buddhist main hall of 1723 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 dates of 1723 and 1754 and a renovation in 1935, and describes a single-storey timber building with a tile roof and a building area of 207 square metres; registration number 37-0401.
According to the temple leaflet, the Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall enshrines Karadasen Hibuse Jizo, a fire-averting Jizo said to be the work of Kobo Daishi. The Council for Cultural Affairs dates its construction to 1723.
A Hall Facing South on the Hill
The Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall stands on the hill on the east side of the precinct and faces south (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is 5 bays across and 6 bays deep, with a 3-bay entrance canopy (Kōhai) on the front and a roof of interlocking pantiles. Counted in bays, it is deeper than it is wide.
Inside, the hall is divided front to back into an outer worship space (Gejin) and an inner sanctum (Naijin). Each room is spanned by beams 3 bays long, so neither has a single interior column (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency points to its deliberate use of Zen-style methods, round columns tapered at the ends, a horizontal plate (daiwa) running over the column heads, closely packed bracket sets (Tsumegumi) and paneled doors (Sankarado), and sees it as one form taken by halls of esoteric Buddhist temples in the early modern period.
The council report likewise presents it as an esoteric hall with its interior divided front to back and Zen-style details, and lists it first among the temple buildings.
What to Look For
On the front of the Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall, look at the round columns that narrow at top and bottom, the daiwa plate laid over their heads, and the bracket sets crowded along it, set between the columns as well as on them (Agency for Cultural Affairs). These are the Zen-style features the Agency singled out, gathered here in a hall of esoteric Buddhism.
The doors are framed panel doors of the Zen type. Standing before the 3-bay canopy, you can follow the line of brackets under the broad tiled roof.
Visiting
The Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall is reached by stone steps from the approach; the bell tower stands beside the steps and the purification pavilion lies south of the hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on access to the interior was found. The front, seen from the top of the steps, is the best view. Directions to the temple and its yearly events are gathered on the Hagiwaraji Temple page.
Q&A
- When was the Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall built?
- In 1723, according to the Council for Cultural Affairs. The Agency records dates of 1723 and 1754 and a renovation in 1935.
- What is enshrined in the Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall?
- Karadasen Hibuse Jizo, a Jizo bodhisattva said to be carved by Kobo Daishi (temple leaflet).
- What is special about the architecture of the Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall?
- Its use of Zen-style features, tapered round columns, daiwa plates, closely packed brackets and paneled doors, and column-free inner and outer rooms (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I go inside the Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall?
- No official information on interior access was found; the exterior can be seen from the grounds.
- When was the Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall registered?
- On December 19, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall (萩原寺本堂) |
|---|---|
| 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 207 m² |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Hagiwaraji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the grounds; no official information on interior access |
References
- Hagiwaraji Temple Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010361
- 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
