A 1759 Hall of the Ten Kings
The Motoyamaji Juo Hall (本山寺十王堂, Motoyama-ji Juo-do) is a Buddhist hall built in 1759 within the grounds of Motoyamaji Temple in Motoyama, Toyonaka-cho, Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture, and was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 19 December 2014. Its name refers to the Ten Kings of the underworld, among them Enma, who in East Asian Buddhist belief judge the dead on their conduct in life.
The hall stands southwest of the Main Hall and faces east, directly opposite the west-facing Daishi Hall, so the pair frames the forecourt. At 148 square metres it is the largest of the seven Motoyamaji buildings registered in 2014. It was renovated in 1993.
Why It Was Registered
The registration criterion is contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Motoyamaji Juo Hall as plain in its body, with chamfered square pillars tied by tie beams and Nageshi rails and simple bearing blocks with carved bracket arms, while the entrance porch at the front is far richer in both its framing and its detail. The body is held back and the effort goes where worshippers look first.
Built 36 years before the Daishi Hall across the forecourt, it also shows how the temple's buildings were put back in place step by step through the middle and later Edo period.
What to Look For
The body is five bays wide and three deep under a hipped roof of Hongawarabuki tile, with a three-bay Kōhai porch at the front. Inside, the front bay is the worshippers' Gejin and the space behind it the Naijin sanctuary. Because the porch runs across most of the long five-bay front, the hall looks even larger from the east.
Under the porch, look at how the beams link the porch posts to the main structure, and at the carved members around the post heads. Set them beside the bare blocks and arms of the main pillars and it is obvious where the carpenters spent their time.
Walk round to the back as well. A corridor runs out from the rear to a goma hall for fire rituals, added at a different time from the main building. The shape of the hall itself records that it has gone on serving as a place of prayer.
Visiting
The exterior of the Motoyamaji Juo Hall can be viewed freely from the temple grounds. The temple publishes no information about interior viewing, so a visit centres on the outside. The rear corridor and goma hall are behind the building; look at them from the side without getting in the way of worshippers.
Because the front faces east, morning is the time to study the porch, when low sunlight throws the beams and carvings into relief. We found no official rule against photographing the exterior, but please take care not to disturb services or worshippers, and follow any signs on site.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Motoyamaji Juo Hall
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Q&A
- When was the Motoyamaji Juo Hall built, and when was it registered?
- It was built in 1759 and renovated in 1993. It was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 19 December 2014, under registration number 37-0409.
- Who are the Ten Kings of the Motoyamaji Juo Hall?
- They are the ten judges of the underworld in East Asian Buddhist belief, Enma among them, who weigh the deeds of the dead. A juo-do is a hall dedicated to them.
- Can you go inside the Motoyamaji Juo Hall?
- The temple publishes no information about interior viewing, so visitors generally see the outside. The front porch and the goma hall added at the back can both be seen from the grounds.
- Where is the Motoyamaji Juo Hall within the temple grounds?
- It stands southwest of the Main Hall, facing east. Entering through the Nio Gate on the south side, it is on your left as you approach the Main Hall; the Daishi Hall faces it from the right.
- What are the architectural highlights of the Motoyamaji Juo Hall?
- A five-by-three-bay hall with a hipped tiled roof and a three-bay porch, it keeps the main structure plain and concentrates framing and carved detail in the porch. A corridor and goma hall were added at the rear.
Basic Information
| Name | Motoyamaji Juo Hall (本山寺十王堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1760-1 Shinden, Motoyama-ko, Toyonaka-cho, Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/12/19 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 148 square metres |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Motoyamaji |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the temple grounds; no admission fee |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Motoyamaji Juo Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010369
- Mitoyo City: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.mitoyo.lg.jp/kakuka/kyouikuiinkai/shogai/3_1/history_bunnkazai/13938.html
- Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage Association: Shippozan Jihoin Motoyamaji (Japanese)
- https://88shikokuhenro.jp/70motoyamaji/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
