About the Daishoji Miyagoten Palace Hall
The Daishoji Miyagoten Palace Hall (大聖寺宮御殿) is the single-storey timber palace hall of the late Edo period, renovated around 1825, at Daishoji, an imperial Zen convent in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on January 26, 2011.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 322 square metres; registration number 26-0352, owned by the religious corporation Daishoji. Nine of the convent's buildings and walls were registered on the same day (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Daishoji Miyagoten Palace Hall was registered as a building that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs values it as preserving the form of the residence of an early modern imperial convent.
What to Look For
The Daishoji Miyagoten stands at the centre of the grounds facing south, made up of a hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) west wing and a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) east wing (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The west wing has a principal room with an alcove and staggered shelves and three more rooms in a four-square plan, ringed by matted verandas; the east wing has four rooms in each of two rows in a sukiya manner (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The two wings keep the layout of a residence for princess-abbesses.
Visiting the Daishoji Miyagoten Palace Hall
According to the Japan Tourism Agency commentary, Daishoji remains an active convent and is closed to the public except for occasional special exhibitions. The front gate and earthen walls can be seen from Karasuma-dori and the lane to the south. The address is 109-1 Goshohachiman-cho, Karasuma-dori Kamidachiuri-sagaru, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto.
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Q&A
- When was the Daishoji Miyagoten built?
- In the late Edo period, renovated around 1825 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the Daishoji Miyagoten laid out?
- A hip-and-gable west wing and a gabled east wing (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why is the Daishoji Miyagoten important?
- It preserves the form of an early modern imperial convent residence (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Daishoji Miyagoten registered?
- On January 26, 2011.
- Can you visit the Daishoji Miyagoten Palace Hall?
- Daishoji is normally closed, opening only for special exhibitions (Japan Tourism Agency); the gate and walls can be seen from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Daishoji Miyagoten Palace Hall (大聖寺宮御殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 109-1 Goshohachiman-cho, Karasuma-dori Kamidachiuri-sagaru, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/1/26 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | A single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 322 square metres |
| Owner | Daishoji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Normally closed (open for special exhibitions) |
References
- Daishoji Miyagoten Palace Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008500
- Daishoji Temple (Japan Tourism Agency)
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/en/R2-01451.html
Last verified: 2026.10.07
