What Is the Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor?
The Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor (總持寺虎嘯窟渡廊下, Koshōkutsu Watari Rōka) is a covered walkway at Sojiji Temple in Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, built around 1911 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2023.
It links the Hokodo with the Koshokutsu, the chief abbot's residence, turning once at a right angle on the way. It is a single-storey timber structure with a tiled roof and a building area of 61 square meters. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a well-built corridor used by the chief abbot.
Both the Hokodo and the Koshokutsu were brought from Soonji in Tsuruoka, Yamagata. The Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor is the piece that joined them into a single working complex around the time the head temple moved.
Why the Connecting Corridor Was Registered
The Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor was listed as a model of design. It has a gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) of pantiles (Sangawara-buki), simple boat-shaped bearing blocks (Kumimono), exposed-post walls with lattice windows and board panelling below.
The Agency points to two clever touches. At the Koshokutsu end, the roof sweeps down to form an entrance porch. At the Hokodo end, over two bays, a double tie beam (Kōryō) with a frog-leg strut (Kaerumata) lifts the roof a step, while the floor arches up like a drum bridge so that people can walk underneath.
Connecting corridors are easy to overlook, but this one lets a footpath pass beneath it while giving the abbot's route a suitable dignity, practical and decorative at a very small scale.
What to Look For at the Connecting Corridor
The highlight is the arched section near the Hokodo. The floor bows upward to leave a passage below, and from outside that is where the roof rises and the double beam and strut decorate the face.
The exposed posts, lattice windows and lower panelling give a quiet domestic look, which makes the corridor seem light next to the Hokodo's great roof.
Find the right-angle turn as well. By bending, the Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor reconciles the different orientations of the two buildings it joins.
Visiting the Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor
The Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor is the chief abbot's route, and there is no published access for visitors to walk along it. Part of the exterior, especially the arched section, can be seen from around the Hokodo.
The passage beneath is part of the precinct paths, but access depends on how the area is being managed, so follow signs and staff. The Koshokutsu end lies in a private area; do not enter. Directions are on the Sojiji Temple page.
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Q&A
- What does the Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor connect?
- The Hokodo and the Koshokutsu, the chief abbot's residence, with one right-angle turn along the way.
- What is special about the Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor?
- Near the Hokodo, a double tie beam and frog-leg strut lift the roof, and the floor arches like a drum bridge so a path can run underneath.
- Can visitors walk along the Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor?
- It is the chief abbot's route, and there is no published access for visitors. Part of the exterior can be seen from around the Hokodo.
- When was the Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor registered?
- It was registered on 7 August 2023. It was built around 1911.
- What is the address of the Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor?
- The national database lists 1878-3 Tsurumi 2-chome, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, within the Sojiji precinct.
Basic Information
| Name | Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor (總持寺虎嘯窟渡廊下) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1878-3 Tsurumi 2-chome, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2023 (Reiwa 5) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single-storey; building area 61 square meters |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Daihonzan Sojiji |
| Public Access | Part of exterior viewable from the grounds; no published access along the corridor |
References
- Sojiji Koshokutsu Connecting Corridor - Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014578
- Hokodo (Japanese) - Sotoshu Daihonzan Sojiji
- https://www.sojiji.jp/map/houkoudou/
- Visiting Information (Japanese) - Sotoshu Daihonzan Sojiji
- https://www.sojiji.jp/visit/
Last verified: 2026.09.16
