The Great Zaodo of Yoshino
The Kinpusenji Temple Main Hall (Zaodo) (金峯山寺本堂) is the Zaodo, one of the largest traditional buildings in Japan of around 1591 in Yoshinoyama, Yoshino Town, Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, and was designated a National Treasure on November 14, 1953 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a hall five bays by six with a pent roof, under a hip-and-gable roof of cypress bark; designation number 00156.
The Agency record also gives an earlier designation date of April 17, 1902, the date of its designation under the former law.
The Tensho Rebuilding
Kinpusenji is said to have been founded by En no Ozunu, and is divided into two precincts, one on the mountain top and one below (Agency for Cultural Affairs). This main hall belongs to the lower precinct and is called the Zaodo. It has burned many times over the centuries, and the present hall was rebuilt after a fire in 1586.
Records say its pillars were raised in 1587 and it was dedicated around 1588, but the metal fittings of its doors are inscribed with a date of 1591, by which time the main work seems to have been nearly finished (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Is a National Treasure
The Agency notes that, although building on this scale is technically difficult, the hall shows a well-ordered form.
A Forest of Columns
With a core five bays by six wrapped in a pent roof, it measures 26 metres across the front and 27 metres along the sides and stands 27.5 metres high, one of the largest buildings of its kind in Japan (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Japan Tourism Agency describes it as the second-largest traditional wooden building in Japan.
The core has four-step Japanese-style brackets with flower-shaped and double-block fillers between them, and the pent roof has three-part brackets with frog-leg struts and short posts between (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Inside, a forest of tall columns left unfinished makes a striking sight.
What to Look For
Look for the forest of tall unfinished columns inside and the four-step bracketing of the core (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Japan Tourism Agency notes that the Zao Gongen statues inside are shown only occasionally.
Visiting
It is owned by Kinpusenji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting hours or fees was found. The main hall, Niomon Gate and copper torii are introduced together on the Kinpusenji Temple page.
Q&A
- When was the main hall built?
- It was rebuilt after a fire in 1586 and largely finished by around 1591.
- How large is it?
- 26 m across, 27 m deep and 27.5 m high.
- What is it also called?
- The Zaodo.
- What is striking inside?
- A forest of tall unfinished columns.
- When was the Kinpusenji Temple Main Hall (Zaodo) designated a National Treasure?
- On November 14, 1953 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kinpusenji Temple Main Hall (Zaodo) (金峯山寺本堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | Yoshinoyama, Yoshino Town, Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Treasure (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated National Treasure 1953/11/14 (Showa 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Five bays by six, with pent roof, hip-and-gable, cypress bark (26 m by 27 m, 27.5 m high) |
| Owner | Kinpusenji Temple |
| Public Access | Official visiting hours and fees not confirmed |
References
- Kinpusenji Temple Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/2797
- Kinpusenji Temple (Japan Tourism Agency multilingual explanation database)
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/en/R1-00584.html
Last verified: 2026.10.23
