A Kamakura hall behind the lecture hall
The Horyuji Temple Kaminomido Hall (法隆寺上御堂, Hōryū-ji Kami-no-midō) in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, is a late Kamakura-period Buddhist hall built in 1318 and designated an Important Cultural Property on December 28, 1898. Its official name adds the alternative "Kami-no-dō," read the same way. It stands north of the Great Lecture Hall.
Seven bays by four, it has a single hip-and-gable tiled roof. Tradition credits Prince Toneri, a son of Emperor Tenmu, with commissioning the first hall here. That building is said to have fallen in a storm, and the present one is the rebuilding of 1318.
Why it matters
The Horyuji Kaminomido is a seven-bay late-Kamakura hall with a firm construction date, a valuable fixed point for the period.
Its broad tiled roof and fairly low eaves close off the north end of the precinct. Seen from the courtyard, after the eye has toured the Western Precinct, this is the roof that rises last, layered behind the lecture hall.
The images inside
Inside is a Shaka Triad of the Heian period: the historical Buddha with two attendant bodhisattvas, unusually carved from cherry wood. Four Heavenly Kings made in the Muromachi period stand guard around them.
From outside it is a modest building, but on the days its doors open you find Heian figures inside a Kamakura hall. Buildings and images of different ages sharing one space is a theme you meet again and again at Horyuji.
Visiting
The interior of the Horyuji Kaminomido opens only from November 1 to 3 each year, and 2026 follows the same dates, with the same admission fee as a regular visit. On other days you see the exterior.
Hours, tickets and directions are on the Horyuji page.
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Q&A
- When is the Horyuji Temple Kaminomido Hall open?
- Only from November 1 to 3 each year, including 2026.
- How do you pronounce Kaminomido?
- "Kami-no-midō." The official name adds "Kami-no-dō," written differently but read the same.
- What statues are in the Horyuji Kaminomido?
- A Heian-period Shaka Triad, carved from cherry wood, guarded by Muromachi-period Four Heavenly Kings.
- When was the Horyuji Kaminomido built?
- The present hall was rebuilt in 1318, in the late Kamakura period.
- Is the Horyuji Kaminomido an Important Cultural Property?
- Yes. It was designated on December 28, 1898.
Basic Information
| Name | Horyuji Temple Kaminomido Hall (Hōryū-ji Kami-no-midō) |
|---|---|
| Location | Horyuji Sannai, Ikaruga, Ikoma District, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | 1898/12/28 (Meiji 31) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 7 by 4 bays, single storey, hip-and-gable roof, tile roof |
| Owner | Horyuji Temple |
| Public Access | Interior open November 1 to 3 each year; exterior at other times |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties — Horyuji Kaminomido
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2685
- Cultural Heritage Online — Horyuji Kaminomido
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/db/heritages/detail/175922
- Japan Tourism Agency Multilingual Commentary Database — Kami no Mido
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/R1-00203.html
- Nara Prefecture, Inori no Kairo — Kaminomido (Shaka Triad)
- https://inori.nara-kankou.or.jp/inori/hihou/horyuji/event/47an5dgron/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
