Honganji Temple Amida Hall

The Model for Great Shin Buddhist Halls

The Honganji Temple Amida Hall (本願寺阿弥陀堂) is the late Edo Amida hall of Honganji (Nishi Honganji) in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City, which in 2014 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey hip-and-gable hall 45.2 by 42.1 metres, with a lean-to extension at the rear, a three-bay porch and a traditional tile roof.

According to the Agency, it enshrines a statue of Amida Buddha, and the present building was rebuilt in 1760.

The Hall

According to the Agency, it stands north of the Goeido at the centre of the precinct, joined to it by a corridor for followers and another for monks. It is far larger than the earlier hall of 1618.

Slightly smaller than the Goeido, it is still among the largest Amida halls or main halls of any Shin temple in Japan, and became the model for large Shin halls built across the country. Honganji notes that the statue of Amida is flanked by six of the seven patriarchs, with portraits of Honen and Prince Shotoku in the side bays.

What to Look For

The Agency notes that, like the Goeido, it has a vast tatami-floored outer hall and an inner sanctuary adorned with gold leaf, carving and colour, but shows more developed techniques: a symmetrical plan, adjusted post positions, inventive framing and abundant Zen-style detail. It values it highly as the perfected form of the Shin main hall, original in technique and design.

With the Amida hall, Honganji's arrangement of two great halls side by side was complete, reflecting how Shin temples grew at each fifty-year memorial. Honganji notes restoration in 1985 and again from August 2017 to March 2022.

Visiting the Honganji Temple Amida Hall

Honganji runs free guided tours of the precinct four times a day, open to all.

The temple's history and visiting information are on the Honganji group page.