A Steep-Roofed Pilgrimage Hall of 1930
The Shogakuji Temple Main Hall (正覚寺本堂, Shōgaku-ji hondō) is a wooden main hall built in 1930 in the grounds of Shogakuji at Otsu, Nahari Town, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on January 31, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey wooden building with a tiled roof and a building area of 34 square metres, registration number 39-0073, owned by Shogakuji.
Why It Was Registered
The Shogakuji Temple Main Hall was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that even after a new main hall was built onto the back, it has carried on as the outer worship space, familiar to pilgrims as Temple No. 9 of the Shikoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.
The Shogakuji Temple Stone Wall on the south side of the grounds was registered the same day, so the hall and the wall together keep the look of the temple in the early Showa era.
What to Look For
The hall stands near the west edge of the grounds, facing east. Its plan is 4 bays by 4 bays, close to square, under a hōgyō-zukuri roof in which all four slopes rise to a single point, with a kōhai porch roof projecting over the front (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The roof is laid with migi-gawara, right-lapping pantiles, and the Shikoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage association picks out its steep pitch as one of the temple's features. Standing in front, the roof looks tall for such a small hall.
Behind it is the newer main hall, so the 1930 building now works as its forecourt hall, the first thing pilgrims face when they arrive.
Visiting
The Shogakuji Temple Main Hall is the working hall of a pilgrimage temple, and its exterior can be seen from the grounds. No information on interior access or photography has been published, so please keep out of the way of worshippers.
According to the pilgrimage association, the nōkyō stamp for this temple is issued at Temple No. 10, Kōshōji, and coaches and minibuses cannot enter the grounds. The temple's history and location are on the group page Shogakuji Temple (Nahari).
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Q&A
- When was the Shogakuji Temple Main Hall built?
- In 1930 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What kind of building is the Shogakuji Temple Main Hall?
- A single-storey wooden hall, 4 bays by 4 bays, with a pyramidal hōgyō-zukuri roof, a front porch roof and right-lapping tiles (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How large is the Shogakuji Temple Main Hall?
- Its building area is 34 square metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Is the Shogakuji Temple Main Hall still in use?
- Yes. A new hall was added behind it, and the old hall serves as the outer worship space of Temple No. 9 of the Shikoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Shogakuji Temple Main Hall registered?
- On January 31, 2003, the same day as the Shogakuji Temple Stone Wall.
Basic Information
| Name | Shogakuji Temple Main Hall (正覚寺本堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1718-1 Otsu, Nahari Town, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/01/31 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single storey, tiled roof, building area 34 square metres |
| Owner | Shogakuji |
| Public Access | Pilgrimage temple hall (exterior visible from the grounds; no information on interior access) |
References
- Shogakuji Temple Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003169
- No. 9 Kojusan Shogakuji (Shikoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage)
- https://www.33kannon.net/shogakuji
Last verified: 2026.10.14
