Todaiji Temple Nigatsudo Busshoya (Gokusho): An Early Kamakura Service Building
The Todaiji Temple Nigatsudo Busshoya (Gokusho) (東大寺二月堂仏餉屋（御供所）, Busshō-ya) is an early Kamakura-period building among the subsidiary structures around the Nigatsudō at Todaiji in Zoshicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, designated an Important Cultural Property in 1903.
Busshō means cooked rice offered before the Buddha, and gokusho a place where offerings are prepared. As the names say, the Busshoya is the service building where offerings for the Nigatsudō's main image are made ready. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Kamakura period (1185 to 1274).
Older Than the Hall It Serves
Around the Nigatsudō stand the Busshoya, the late Kamakura Akaiya well house and the Sanrosho lodging of 1277 to 1282. By the Agency's dates, the Todaiji Nigatsudo Busshoya is the oldest of the three.
The Nigatsudō itself burned in 1667 and was rebuilt two years later. The Busshoya is more than four centuries older, and its Kamakura-period neighbours kept serving after the main hall was replaced. Around the Nigatsudō, the small buildings are older than the great hall.
The Building
The Todaiji Temple Nigatsudo Busshoya is five bays wide and two deep, a single storey under a gabled roof of clay tiles: a long, narrow, plainly finished working building.
It shares its depth of two bays with the Akaiya (three by two) and is smaller than the Sanrosho (ten by four). All three have gabled tile roofs, giving the service buildings around the Nigatsudō a consistent look.
Why the Busshoya Is an Important Cultural Property
The Todaiji Temple Nigatsudo Busshoya (Gokusho) was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1903, under the Ancient Shrines and Temples Preservation Law of the time, on the same day as the Akaiya, the Nenbutsu Hall and the Hokkedō North Gate.
Its value lies in being a support building for the Nigatsudō's rites, including the Shunie, that survives from the early Kamakura period. The temple describes the Shunie as a rite begun in 752 and never once interrupted, and the Busshoya is one of the buildings that has worked behind the scenes of that ceremony.
Visiting the Busshoya
The interior of the Todaiji Temple Nigatsudo Busshoya is not open, and the temple's visitor information lists no public access. Its outside can be seen free from the grounds around the Nigatsudō.
The Nigatsudō is open 24 hours, so you can combine the view from its veranda with a walk around the service buildings below. During the Shunie the area is crowded and some places are closed off, so check the temple's guidance first. Directions and admission for the rest of Todaiji are on the Todaiji Temple page.
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Q&A
- When was the Todaiji Nigatsudo Busshoya built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Kamakura period (1185 to 1274), the oldest date among the buildings around the Nigatsudō.
- What do Busshoya and Gokusho mean at the Todaiji Nigatsudo?
- Busshō is rice offered to the Buddha and gokusho a place where offerings are prepared; the building serves the Nigatsudō's main image.
- How big is the Todaiji Nigatsudo Busshoya?
- It is five bays by two, a single storey with a gabled tile roof.
- Is the Todaiji Nigatsudo Busshoya older than the Nigatsudo itself?
- Yes. The Nigatsudō burned in 1667 and was rebuilt two years later, while the Busshoya dates from the early Kamakura period.
- Can I see inside the Todaiji Nigatsudo Busshoya?
- No. The interior is closed, but the outside can be seen free from the grounds around the Nigatsudō.
Basic Information
| Name | Todaiji Temple Nigatsudo Busshoya (Gokusho) |
|---|---|
| Location | Zoshicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | 1903 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 5 x 2 bays, single storey, gabled roof, clay tiles |
| Owner | Todaiji Temple |
| Public Access | Interior closed. Exterior visible free from the grounds |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 東大寺二月堂仏餉屋（御供所）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2450
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 東大寺二月堂閼伽井屋（若狭井屋）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2449
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 東大寺二月堂参籠所
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2456
- Todaiji Temple: Nigatsudo
- https://www.todaiji.or.jp/information/nigatsudo/
- Todaiji Temple: Shunie
- https://www.todaiji.or.jp/annual/event/shunie/
Last verified: 2026.10.02
