A Muromachi Hall in the Kochi Mountains
The Yakushido Hall of Kinrinji Temple (金林寺薬師堂) is a Buddhist hall of around the late 15th century (late Muromachi period) at Kinrinji, a temple of the Koyasan Shingon school at Umaji, Umaji Village, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property (structure) on May 23, 2002 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey hall three bays wide and four bays deep with a hipped copper-sheet roof, designation number 02413, owned by Kinrinji.
An Old Temple in Eastern Kochi
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Kinrinji stands in the mountains of eastern Kochi Prefecture and belongs to the Koyasan Shingon school. Its founding is thought to go back to the late Heian period, and it was a centre of local faith.
An ink inscription on the underside of the top board of the shrine cabinet inside the Yakushido Hall of Kinrinji Temple dates the cabinet to 1518 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Value as an Important Cultural Property
The Yakushido Hall of Kinrinji Temple was designated an Important Cultural Property in 2002 for its high historical value and its marked regional character. The Agency for Cultural Affairs values it as one of the few buildings in central and southern Shikoku dating from before the early 16th century, showing the maturity of the region's architecture.
What to Look For
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Yakushido Hall of Kinrinji Temple is 3 bays by 4 bays, divided inside into an outer and inner sanctuary, under a hipped copper-sheet roof, with details that clearly show the style of the mid to late Muromachi period.
Its eaves are of boards instead of rafters, an unusual technique that gives an elegant exterior, and it is simply but finely built of good hinoki cypress and Japanese cedar (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The Yakushido Hall of Kinrinji Temple is a hall of Kinrinji. Please check access with the temple and be considerate when visiting.
It is at Umaji, Umaji Village.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- Around the late 15th century, in the late Muromachi period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is unusual about it?
- Its eaves are made of boards without rafters, giving an elegant exterior (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is inside?
- A shrine cabinet dated 1518 by an ink inscription (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why is it important?
- It is one of the few halls in central and southern Shikoku from before the early 16th century (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Yakushido Hall of Kinrinji Temple designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On May 23, 2002.
Basic Information
| Name | Yakushido Hall of Kinrinji Temple (金林寺薬師堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | Umaji, Umaji Village, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2002/05/23 (Heisei 14) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Three by four bays, single storey, hipped roof, copper-sheet roofing |
| Owner | Kinrinji |
| Public Access | Temple hall (check access with the temple) |
References
- Yakushido Hall of Kinrinji Temple (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/3735
Last verified: 2026.10.14