A sub-temple hall under a pyramid roof
The Fukuonin Main Hall (福園院本堂, Fukuon-in Hondō) in Horyuji Sannai, Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, is the main hall of the Fukuonin sub-temple of Horyuji, built in 1437 in the mid-Muromachi period and designated an Important Cultural Property on June 26, 1942.
It is a three-by-three-bay square hall, single-storey, with a pyramidal tiled roof whose four faces meet at a single point.
Among Horyuji's small square halls
Horyuji keeps a run of three-bay square halls: the Shindo of 1284, the Jizo Hall of 1372, the Chuin Main Hall of 1434 and the Kitamuroin Main Hall of 1494. The Fukuonin Main Hall came just three years after the Chuin Main Hall.
Most of those halls have hip-and-gable roofs; this one is pyramidal. The same square plan reads very differently under a different roof, and a firmly dated sub-temple hall that lets you compare roof types is what gives the Fukuonin Main Hall its value.
What to look for
A pyramidal roof puts its peak over the center of the square plan. With all four faces at the same pitch, the hall looks much the same from any side, unlike the strongly frontal hip-and-gable halls.
Notice too the proportion of a heavy tiled roof carried on such a small three-bay frame.
Visiting
Fukuonin is a residential sub-temple, and the interior of the Fukuonin Main Hall is not open to the public.
Hours, tickets and directions for Horyuji are on the Horyuji page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nara
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fukuonin Main Hall
- [ Todaiji Great Buddha & Nara Park Deer Experience ]
Q&A
- When was the Fukuonin Main Hall built?
- In 1437, in the mid-Muromachi period.
- What kind of building is the Fukuonin Main Hall?
- A three-by-three-bay square hall with a pyramidal tiled roof.
- How do you read Fukuonin?
- "Fuku-on-in."
- Can you visit the Fukuonin Main Hall?
- No. It belongs to a sub-temple and the interior is closed.
- Is the Fukuonin Main Hall an Important Cultural Property?
- Yes. It was designated on June 26, 1942.
Basic Information
| Name | Fukuonin Main Hall (Fukuon-in Hondō) |
|---|---|
| Location | Horyuji Sannai, Ikaruga, Ikoma District, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | 1942/6/26 (Showa 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 3 by 3 bays, single storey, pyramidal roof, tile roof |
| Owner | Horyuji Temple |
| Public Access | Closed (sub-temple) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties — Fukuonin Main Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2713
- Cultural Heritage Online — Fukuonin Main Hall
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/db/heritages/detail/195370
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties — Horyuji Chuin Main Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2733
Last verified: 2026.10.01
