About Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters
Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters (極楽寺庫裏, Gokuraku-ji Kuri) is the residence-and-kitchen building of Gokurakuji, a Jodo Buddhist temple in Wakabacho, Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture; built between 1751 and 1830, it was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2011.
A building of this type, called a Kuri, is where a temple's priests live and where its meals are prepared. This one stands just north of the main hall and, like the hall, faces east. The single-storey timber building has a tiled roof and a building area of 241 square metres, and was repaired in 2010.
Why Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters Was Registered
Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country. What the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out, though, is its character: a temple building with the feel of a traditional Japanese house.
The roof is a plain Kirizuma-zukuri gable, entered from the gable side (Tsumairi) and covered in Sangawara-buki pantiles. On that entrance gable, beams and nuki tie-beams are layered as decoration, and a lean-to roof (Geya) runs along the lower part.
Next door, the main hall declares its religious purpose with a hip-and-gable roof and a curved porch. The priests' quarters look instead like the home of a well-established local family, a clear case of two buildings on one site shaped for two different jobs.
Inside Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters
The entrance sits toward the south end of the east face and opens onto an earth-floored Doma. Beyond it lies a large tatami room measuring 3 ken by 3.5 ken.
The room is framed the way a farmhouse would be. Horizontal dosashi beams tie the posts together, and the small wall panels above are finished in Shikkui lime plaster, crossed by 2 tiers of nuki. Dark timber lines against pale plaster give the space the look of a traditional living hall rather than a temple interior.
From outside, compare the layered beams on the gable with the eaves of the lean-to below, then glance back at the main hall. Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters makes no attempt to compete; it is designed as a place to live and work.
Visiting Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters
Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters faces east just north of the main hall, so its gable end comes into view as you walk north from the front of the hall along the eastern side of the grounds.
As the working and living quarters of the temple, its interior is open only at the temple's discretion. If you would like to see the doma or the tatami room, contact Gokurakuji in advance (0257-23-2233, Japanese) and ask about photography too. Directions are on the Gokurakuji Temple page.
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Q&A
- What is Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters used for?
- It is the temple's kuri, the building that combines the priests' living space with the temple kitchen. It has a gabled, tile-roofed timber structure with the entrance on the gable side.
- When was Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters built?
- It dates from the later Edo period, between 1751 and 1830, and was repaired in 2010.
- Can I go inside Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters?
- There is no regular public opening. Contact Gokurakuji in advance (0257-23-2233) to ask whether you may enter.
- What is the layout of Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters?
- The entrance leads into an earth-floored doma, behind which is a large tatami room of 3 ken by 3.5 ken with plastered wall panels crossed by 2 tiers of tie-beams.
- Is Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters a registered cultural property?
- Yes. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 28, 2011.
Basic Information
| Name | Gokurakuji Temple Priests' Quarters (Gokuraku-ji Kuri) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-1 Wakabacho, Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Buildings and Structures) |
| Year Designated | 2011-10-28 (registered; Registration No. 15-0356) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 241 square metres |
| Owner | Gokurakuji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the temple grounds; contact the temple in advance (0257-23-2233) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Gokurakuji Priests' Quarters (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008847
- Cultural Heritage Online: Gokurakuji Priests' Quarters (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/246030
- Cultural Properties of Kashiwazaki (Kashiwazaki City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kashiwazaki.lg.jp/soshikiichiran/kyoikuiinkai/hakubutsukan/1/23/2/4277.html
- Gokurakuji (Kashiwazaki Tourism Association, Japanese)
- https://www.uwatt.com/detail/1079/index.html
Last verified: 2026.09.16
