A Bell Tower in a Skirt
The Emyoji Temple Bell Tower (恵明寺鐘楼) is a two-storey bell tower of 1833 in Matsushiromachi Nishijo, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on September 10, 2010 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber tower with a tiled roof and a building area of 13 square metres; registration number 20-0364.
Between the Hall and the Gate
The Emyoji Temple Bell Tower stands east of the main hall, between the hall and the gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a single bay square and two storeys high, with a hip-and-gable tiled roof, on a base of laid stone.
The posts lean inward and carry the beams directly, under eaves of widely spaced single rafters (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The lower half of the ground floor is boarded vertically and the rest plastered, so that it reads like the flared skirt of a hakamagoshi bell tower.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape, as a bell tower of unusual form.
What to Look For
Look at the ground floor dressed to resemble a skirt in boards and plaster, and the inward-leaning posts (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
No official information from the temple on access to the grounds was found. The location is described on the Emyoji Temple page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nagano
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Emyoji Temple Bell Tower
- [ Matsumoto Castle & Kamikochi Hiking Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Emyoji Temple Bell Tower built?
- In 1833 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the bell tower at Emyoji?
- East of the main hall, between the hall and the gate.
- What is unusual about the Emyoji bell tower?
- Its ground floor is dressed in boards and plaster to look like a skirt.
- How are the posts of the Emyoji bell tower set?
- They lean inward and carry the beams directly.
- When was the Emyoji Temple Bell Tower registered?
- On September 10, 2010 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Emyoji Temple Bell Tower (恵明寺鐘楼) |
|---|---|
| Location | Matsushiromachi Nishijo, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010/09/10 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, tiled roof, 13 m² |
| Owner | Emyoji Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Access arrangements unconfirmed |
References
- Emyoji Temple Bell Tower (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008281
Last verified: 2026.10.15
