What Is the Sojiji Shiundai?
The Sojiji Shiundai (總持寺紫雲台, Shiundai; the temple writes it 紫雲臺 and reads it Shiuntai) is the great audience hall of Sojiji Temple in Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, built in 1915 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2005.
It stands east of the central halls and faces west, a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 820 square meters. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as the place where the temple receives monks and lay members.
The temple calls it the formal reception room of the chief abbot, the hall where he meets clergy and supporters from across Japan. "Shiundai", Purple Cloud Terrace, has also become an honorific for the chief abbot himself, so the building's name and the title of the person who sits in it are one and the same.
Why the Shiundai Was Registered
The Sojiji Shiundai was listed as a model of design. The Agency points to its hip-and-gable roof (Irimoya-zukuri), a front porch (Kōhai) crowned by a cusped eave gable (Noki-karahafu) and a veranda on all four sides. The building is eighteen and a half bays long, with tall posts, and the exterior is grand in scale.
Inside, by contrast, it is divided into rooms of various sizes, kept low and calm in the Shoin-zukuri manner. That contrast, imposing outside and quiet within, is at the heart of its value: a public face for the head temple wrapped around rooms where the abbot sits with his visitors.
Built in the same year as the Buddha Hall, the Sojiji Shiundai also shows how early the relocated temple put its administrative and reception core in place.
What to Look For at the Shiundai
The karahafu over the porch is the only curve in a long, level roofline, and it does a lot of work. Walk the length of the building to feel what eighteen and a half bays means.
A plaque reading "Shiundai" hangs at the main entrance; the temple attributes it to Nishiari Bokusan, the third resident abbot, who also wrote the plaque on the Koshakudai. Compare the two.
The encircling veranda lightens the tall frame, and the shadow under the veranda layered against the shadow of the deep eaves is worth a pause.
Visiting the Sojiji Shiundai
The exterior of the Sojiji Shiundai can be seen from the grounds on the east side of the precinct. It faces west, so the porch and plaque catch the afternoon light.
It is the abbot's reception hall, and the temple's visitor information does not list its interior as open; ask the main reception desk if you are interested. Access nearby may be restricted during ceremonies, so follow staff directions. Directions are on the Sojiji Temple page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kanagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Sojiji Shiundai
- [ Kamakura Buddha Hakone Onsen & Yokohama Tours ]
Q&A
- What is the Sojiji Shiundai used for?
- According to the temple, it is the chief abbot's formal reception hall, where he meets monks and lay supporters from across Japan.
- How is Sojiji Shiundai pronounced?
- The national database reads it Shiundai; the temple writes 紫雲臺 and reads it Shiuntai.
- Can I go inside the Sojiji Shiundai?
- The temple's visitor information does not list the interior as open. The exterior is visible from the east side of the grounds.
- When was the Sojiji Shiundai built and registered?
- It was built in 1915 and registered on 12 July 2005.
- Who wrote the plaque on the Sojiji Shiundai?
- The temple attributes the "Shiundai" plaque at the main entrance to Nishiari Bokusan, the third resident abbot.
Basic Information
| Name | Sojiji Shiundai (總持寺紫雲台) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-1-1 Tsurumi, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2005 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single-storey; building area 820 square meters |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Daihonzan Sojiji |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the grounds; no published interior access |
References
- Sojiji Shiundai - Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004715
- Shiundai (Japanese) - Sotoshu Daihonzan Sojiji
- https://www.sojiji.jp/map/siuntai/
- Visiting Information (Japanese) - Sotoshu Daihonzan Sojiji
- https://www.sojiji.jp/visit/
Last verified: 2026.09.16
