An Open Belfry on a Rubble-Stone Base
The Motoyamaji Bell Tower (本山寺鐘楼, Motoyama-ji Shoro) is a mid-Edo-period belfry 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. The Agency for Cultural Affairs database dates it only to the mid-Edo period, a span running from the late 17th to the mid-18th century.
It stands in the southeast part of the grounds. Covering 13 square metres, it is an open, wall-less structure one bay square: four posts and a roof from which the temple bell hangs, the most basic form a belfry can take.
Why It Was Registered
The registration criterion is contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls the Motoyamaji Bell Tower a well-developed design fitting for the precinct. The heart of that judgement is that a structure of the smallest possible size carries bracketing and eaves as carefully worked as those of a full hall.
What to Look For
Start at the base. The platform is built of rubble stone laid in irregular courses, and four posts rise from it. They are square with chamfered corners, tapered at the top, and set leaning slightly inward. That inward lean, Uchikorobi, makes the slender four-post frame look braced and gathered as your eye travels upward.
The posts are tied with tie beams and a head plate, and above them the Kumimono brackets step out once, with a carved nosing at the tip and a bolster on top. Rather than placing brackets only on the post tops, the builders packed them between the posts as well, so the underside of the eaves of this small tower is filled with bracketing. That dense arrangement is what sets the Motoyamaji Bell Tower apart.
The roof is hip-and-gable in Hongawarabuki tile, with its ridge running north to south. The eaves use two tiers of closely spaced Taruki rafters, with a slanted Shirin board ceiling tucked in behind. Because all four sides are open, you can look up at the eave structure from inside the tower as well.
Visiting
With no walls, the Motoyamaji Bell Tower can be seen from the grounds right up to the posts, brackets and underside of the eaves. We could not confirm from the temple whether visitors may ring the bell, so ask at the stamp office before doing so.
To see the packed brackets, look up at an angle from beside the platform. The inward lean of the posts is easiest to notice from a little further back, looking at the row of posts head on. We found no official rule against photographing the exterior, but please take care not to disturb worshippers and follow any signs on site.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Motoyamaji Bell Tower
- [ Naoshima Art Island & Kotohiragu Shrine Visit ]
Q&A
- When was the Motoyamaji Bell Tower built, and when was it registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the mid-Edo period. It was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 19 December 2014, under registration number 37-0412.
- What are the architectural highlights of the Motoyamaji Bell Tower?
- It is an open belfry one bay square on a rubble-stone base, with a hip-and-gable tiled roof. Its posts lean slightly inward, and projecting brackets are packed between the posts as well as on top of them.
- Can visitors ring the bell at the Motoyamaji Bell Tower?
- We could not confirm from the temple whether visitors may ring it. Please ask at the stamp office first.
- Where is the Motoyamaji Bell Tower within the temple grounds?
- It stands in the southeast part of the grounds on a platform of irregular rubble stone, which makes it easy to spot.
- What does packed bracketing mean at the Motoyamaji Bell Tower?
- It means placing bracket sets between the posts as well as on the post tops. Here the brackets are packed in this way, so the underside of the small roof is filled with them.
Basic Information
| Name | Motoyamaji Bell Tower (本山寺鐘楼) |
|---|---|
| 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 | Timber structure, tiled roof, area 13 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 Bell Tower
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010372
- 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
