The Main Hall of the Oldest of Kiso's Great Temples
The Joshoji Temple Main Hall (定勝寺本堂) is the main hall of a Zen temple of the early Edo period in Suhara, Okuwa Village, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on March 29, 1952 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records 19.0 by 12.2 metres, single-storey, with a hip-and-gable copper roof; designation number 01158.
The Oldest of the Three Great Temples of Kiso
Joshoji is a temple of the Myoshinji branch of Rinzai Zen at Suhara, a post town on the Nakasendo (Nagano Prefectural Board of Education). According to Okuwa Village, it is the oldest of the three great temples of Kiso: the eleventh head of the Kiso family founded it on the bank of the Kiso River in the Kakei era (1387 to 1389) for the repose of his ancestors, and after floods swept it away three times it was moved to its present site in 1598.
The main hall is single-storey, 19.0 by 12.2 metres, under a hip-and-gable copper roof, and the Agency dates it to the early Edo period. The memorial tablet of the warlord Kiso Yoshimasa is kept at the temple (Okuwa Village).
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency record has no commentary; the structure and date set out what was designated. The main hall was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1952 together with the kuri and the gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
Nagano Prefecture points to the corridor floors that squeak like a nightingale, the garden and the weeping cherry in season.
Visiting
According to Okuwa Village, Joshoji is closed for renovation until around autumn 2027. It is a 10-minute walk from Suhara Station on the JR Chuo Main Line; enquiries go to the temple. The main hall, kuri and gate are introduced together on the Joshoji Temple page.
Q&A
- When was the Joshoji Main Hall built?
- The Agency dates it to the early Edo period.
- When was Joshoji founded?
- In the Kakei era (1387 to 1389), by tradition (Okuwa Village).
- When did it move to its present site?
- In 1598, after floods had swept it away three times.
- Can I visit now?
- It is closed for renovation until around autumn 2027 (Okuwa Village).
- When was the Joshoji Temple Main Hall designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On March 29, 1952 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Joshoji Temple Main Hall (定勝寺本堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | Suhara, Okuwa Village, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1952/03/29 (Showa 27) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 19.0 m × 12.2 m, single-storey, hip-and-gable copper roof |
| Owner | Joshoji Temple |
| Public Access | 10 minutes on foot from Suhara Station, JR Chuo Main Line (Okuwa Village); closed for renovation until around autumn 2027 |
References
- Joshoji Temple Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/1007
- Temples and shrines (Okuwa Village)
- https://www.vill.okuwa.lg.jp/kanko/miru-asobu/jinja-otera/temple.html
- Prefectural designation papers for a painting at Joshoji (Nagano Prefectural Board of Education)
- https://www.pref.nagano.lg.jp/kyoiku/kyoiku/goannai/kaigiroku/h25/teireikai/documents/965-9.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.22
