A Momoyama Reception Hall at Byodoin
The Jodoin Yorinan Shoin (浄土院養林庵書院) is a reception hall at Jodoin, a sub-temple of Byodoin of the Momoyama period (1573–1614) in Uji, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on April 25, 1927 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey building 9.1 by 9.9 metres, hip-and-gable at the front and gabled at the back, roofed in cypress bark, with a pent roof along one side; designation number 00834.
The 1927 date in the Agency record is that of its designation under the former law.
A Hall Said to Reuse Fushimi Castle Timber
The Jodoin Yorinan Shoin is a reception hall in the precincts of Jodoin, a sub-temple of Byodoin. The Agency dates it to the Momoyama period and records a hip-and-gable front and a gabled back under a cypress-bark roof.
According to the multilingual explanation of the Japan Tourism Agency, it is said to reuse timber from Fushimi Castle. Inside, the alcove shows a snowy landscape and a sliding door shows plum blossoms by a brushwood fence, works attributed to the studio of Kano Sansetsu; the garden is attributed to Hosokawa Sansai and is a Place of Scenic Beauty of Kyoto Prefecture.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency lists this Momoyama-period hall roofed in cypress bark as an Important Cultural Property. Its record has no commentary; the structure and date set out what was designated.
What to Look For
Look for the cypress-bark roof, hip-and-gable at the front and gabled at the back (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Jodoin Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Japan Tourism Agency, the hall is not open to the public.
Q&A
- When was the Jodoin Yorinan Shoin built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the Momoyama period (1573–1614); the Japan Tourism Agency says the early Edo period.
- Where is it?
- In the precincts of Jodoin, a sub-temple of Byodoin in Uji.
- What is said about its timber?
- It is said to reuse timber from Fushimi Castle (Japan Tourism Agency).
- Is it open to the public?
- According to the Japan Tourism Agency, it is not.
- When was the Jodoin Yorinan Shoin designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On April 25, 1927 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Jodoin Yorinan Shoin (浄土院養林庵書院) |
|---|---|
| Location | Uji, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1927/04/25 (Showa 2) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 9.1 × 9.9 m, single storey, hip-and-gable front, gabled back, cypress-bark roof, side pent roof |
| Owner | Jodoin Temple |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (Japan Tourism Agency) |
References
- Jodoin Yorinan Shoin (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/1976
- Yorinan Shoin (Japan Tourism Agency multilingual explanation database, Japanese)
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/common/001553433.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.19