A byre and a barn to begin with
Chokokuji Temple Office is a late Edo period building in Hase, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, carrying an ink inscription of 1857 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2008.
It runs east to west beside the Priests' Quarters: 19 metres along the ridge, 5.4 metres deep, two storeys of timber under a gabled pantiled roof, with a floor area of 101 square metres. The long narrow plan closes the eastern side of the forecourt.
It serves as the temple office now, but it did not begin that way. According to Sado City, the eastern half was a byre for livestock and the western half a barn, while thatching reed was stored in the roof space. An inscription dated 1857 on the side of a cantilevered beam upstairs suggests it was added later as an adjunct to the residence.
Storing reed kept the compound standing
The detail about reed stored in the roof space connects directly to the upkeep of the whole precinct. Both the Main Hall and the Priests' Quarters are thatched. A thatched roof must be renewed every few decades, and each renewal consumes a great deal of reed. Without somewhere to dry and stockpile what has been cut, the cycle cannot be maintained.
Chokokuji Temple Office was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape, as one of the buildings enclosing the forecourt. Its role, though, went beyond appearance: it was part of the machinery that kept the compound in repair.
Livestock, a barn, a reed store. The history of this one building shows that a nineteenth century temple was also an estate that had to be run.
Close-set posts and projecting purlins
The framing of Chokokuji Temple Office is what stands out. Posts are set every half bay with several tiers of horizontal ties threaded through them. Because the posts are close together, the elevation reads as a fine sequence of vertical lines.
The walls are of the type that leaves the posts exposed, with battened boarding on the front and sides. Purlins project beyond the columns on all four faces to carry deeper eaves, a device common in districts with heavy rainfall.
Nineteen metres along the ridge is the same length as the Main Hall. The depth, however, is only 5.4 metres, roughly a third of the hall's. Equal length, entirely different section, because the purposes differ.
Seeing Chokokuji Temple Office
The exterior of Chokokuji Temple Office is visible at any time from the forecourt in front of the Priests' Quarters. The building is long and low, so standing towards the west side of the forecourt takes in the whole of it.
Reception for visits and enquiries about booking the treasure rooms are handled here or at the residence next door, so arriving visitors call here first.
The interior is not opened to visitors. Directions and reception hours are on the Chokokuji Temple page.
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Q&A
- How old is Chokokuji Temple Office?
- An ink inscription of 1857 survives on the side of a cantilevered beam on the upper floor. The building is thought to have been added later as an adjunct to the residence.
- Was Chokokuji Temple Office always an office?
- No. The eastern half was originally a byre and the western half a barn, with thatching reed kept in the roof space.
- Why was reed stored in the roof of Chokokuji Temple Office?
- Because the Main Hall and the Priests' Quarters are thatched. Renewing thatch takes a great deal of reed, which has to be cut, dried and stored in advance.
- How large is Chokokuji Temple Office?
- 19 metres along the ridge by 5.4 metres deep, 101 square metres of floor area, in two storeys. The length matches that of the Main Hall.
- Can visitors enter Chokokuji Temple Office?
- The interior is not opened, though reception for visits and booking enquiries is handled here or at the residence beside it.
Basic Information
| Name | Chokokuji Temple Office |
|---|---|
| Location | 13 Hase Toyo, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2008 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 19 metres along the ridge, 5.4 metres deep, floor area 101 square metres |
| Owner | Chokokuji Temple, a religious corporation |
| Public Access | Exterior only; the interior is not open |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Chokokuji Temple Office
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006967
- Sado City: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties, Chokokuji Temple
- https://www.city.sado.niigata.jp/site/bunkazai/4964.html
- Chokokuji Temple: Visitor Information
- https://sado-choukokuji.jp/guidance/
Last verified: 2026.09.14
