A Kan'ei-era hall outside the Great East Gate
The Ritsugakuin Main Hall (律学院本堂, Ritsugakuin Hondō) in Horyuji Sannai, Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, is the main hall of the Ritsugakuin sub-temple of Horyuji, built in 1627 in the early Edo period and designated an Important Cultural Property on May 20, 1976. It stands outside the Great East Gate of the Western Precinct and enshrines an image of Prince Shōtoku.
Five bays across the front and seven deep, it is single-storey and hip-and-gabled, entered from the gable end (tsumairi) beneath a one-bay porch (kōhai), with a tile roof.
Modeled on the Shoryoin
The national database describes the Ritsugakuin Main Hall as closely resembling the Shoryoin, the 1284 hall dedicated to Prince Shōtoku. More than three centuries later, a new hall for the same prince took nearly the same form.
Behind the sanctum is a shrine cabinet (zushi) with a cusped gable and a cypress-bark roof, echoing the built-in cabinet with cusped gable in the Shoryoin.
Its designation recognized the good preservation of its timbers, the high quality of materials and workmanship, and the fine design of its details.
What to look for
Note the front: the gable of the hip-and-gable roof turned toward you, with a porch projecting from it. Gable-entry halls are a minority in Japan and look quite different from halls entered from the eave side.
Compare it with the Shoryoin, also gable-fronted and dedicated to Prince Shōtoku, and the family resemblance is clear. Walking the east side of the Western Precinct, you can see the two one after the other.
Visiting
The Ritsugakuin Main Hall stands outside the Great East Gate, near the lane from the Western to the Eastern Precinct. The interior is normally closed, and it is seen from outside.
Hours, tickets and directions for Horyuji are on the Horyuji page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nara
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ritsugakuin Main Hall
- [ Todaiji Great Buddha & Nara Park Deer Experience ]
Q&A
- Where is the Ritsugakuin Main Hall?
- Outside the Great East Gate of Horyuji's Western Precinct, near the lane to the Eastern Precinct.
- What is enshrined in the Ritsugakuin Main Hall?
- An image of Prince Shōtoku, in a bark-roofed shrine cabinet with a cusped gable behind the sanctum.
- When was the Ritsugakuin Main Hall built?
- In 1627, in the early Edo period.
- How is the Ritsugakuin Main Hall related to the Shoryoin?
- The national database describes it as closely resembling the Shoryoin; both are gable-fronted halls for Prince Shōtoku.
- Is the Ritsugakuin Main Hall an Important Cultural Property?
- Yes. It was designated on May 20, 1976.
Basic Information
| Name | Ritsugakuin Main Hall (Ritsugakuin Hondō) |
|---|---|
| Location | Horyuji Sannai, Ikaruga, Ikoma District, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | 1976/5/20 (Showa 51) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 7 by 5 bays, single storey, hip-and-gable roof, gable-end entry, 1-bay porch, tile roof |
| Owner | Horyuji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior only (interior normally closed) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties — Ritsugakuin Main Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2735
- Cultural Heritage Online — Ritsugakuin Main Hall
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/db/heritages/detail/175972
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties — Horyuji Shoryoin
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2701
Last verified: 2026.10.01
