Hotoji Temple Main Hall

A Nichiren Main Hall of 1608

The Hotoji Temple Main Hall (寶塔寺本堂) is a large Nichiren main hall of firmly known date of 1608 in Fukakusa Hotojiyamacho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on May 21, 1984 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a seven-by-seven-bay hip-and-gable hall with a tiled roof; designation number 02158.

The Main Hall of Nichizo's Burial Temple

Hotoji is a temple of the Nichiren school, revered as the burial place of Nichizo (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its main hall was built in 1608 and is a large hall, seven bays by seven, single-storey, hip-and-gable, with a three-bay porch and a tiled roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Why It Is an Important Cultural Property

The Agency values it as one of the older main halls of Nichiren temples, and one whose date is firmly known.

An Open Outer Hall and Tall Posts

The outer hall of the Hotoji main hall is open at the front, and the inner posts rise high into the roof space, a technique typical of the early modern period (Agency for Cultural Affairs). In 2003 the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education published a report on the repair of the main hall and the tahoto pagoda.

What to Look For

At the Hotoji main hall, look for the large seven-bay square hall, the open outer hall and the tall inner posts rising into the roof space (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Visiting

The main hall is owned by Hotoji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting hours was found. The main hall, the tahoto pagoda and the four-legged gate are introduced together on the Hotoji Temple page.