About Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository
Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository (極楽寺経蔵, Gokuraku-ji Kyōzō) is a storehouse for Buddhist scriptures built in 1827 at Gokurakuji, a Jodo temple in Wakabacho, Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, and was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2011. Inside stands an octagonal revolving sutra case, known as a rinzō.
The repository sits north of the priests' quarters. It is built in Dozo-zukuri fashion, the thick clay-walled technique of Japanese fireproof storehouses, as a single storey with a partial 2nd floor. It measures 7.3 metres by 5.6 metres, with a building area of 47 square metres, and was repaired in 1860 and again in 2010.
Why Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository Was Registered
Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a sutra repository of unusual form.
The first oddity is the roof. The front half is hipped (Yosemune-zukuri) and the rear half gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri), all in Sangawara-buki pantiles. A sacred-jewel finial (hōju) sits on the ridge at the front, so that from the entrance the building reads as a small pyramid-roofed hall in the Hōgyō-zukuri manner.
The second is the porch. A Kōhai crowned with a curved karahafu gable is attached to the front of what is structurally a clay-walled storehouse, pairing the protection of a fireproof store with the face of a place of worship.
What to See at Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository
Inside, the building is divided into front and rear rooms, and the rinzō stands in the front room. A rinzō is an eight-sided bookcase for sutras mounted on a central pivot so that it can be turned, a fixture installed in some Japanese temple sutra halls.
Outside, compare the front and side views. Head-on, the jewel-topped roof and the karahafu porch make the building look like a compact shrine hall. Step to the side and the gabled rear half of the roof appears, revealing the box-like body of a storehouse.
Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository is best understood as a practical fireproof store given a ceremonial face.
Visiting Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository
Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository stands north of the priests' quarters and west of the bell tower, in the later part of a walk northward from the main hall. To see the porch and the jewel finial together, stand in front of the building.
No fixed arrangement exists for viewing the front room and its rinzō. If you would like to go inside, contact Gokurakuji in advance (0257-23-2233, Japanese) and ask about photography at the same time. Directions are on the Gokurakuji Temple page.
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Q&A
- When was Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository built?
- In 1827. It was repaired in 1860 and in 2010.
- What is the rinzō in Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository?
- An octagonal sutra bookcase in the front room, built to turn on a central pivot.
- What is unusual about the roof of Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository?
- The front half is hipped and the rear half gabled, and a jewel finial on the front ridge makes it look like a pyramid-roofed hall from the entrance. A karahafu porch is attached to the front.
- Can I see inside Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository?
- There is no regular opening. Contact Gokurakuji in advance (0257-23-2233) to ask whether a visit is possible.
- How big is Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository?
- It is a clay-walled storehouse, single storey with a partial 2nd floor, 7.3 metres by 5.6 metres, with a building area of 47 square metres.
Basic Information
| Name | Gokurakuji Temple Sutra Repository (Gokuraku-ji Kyōzō) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-1 Wakabacho, Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Buildings and Structures) |
| Year Designated | 2011-10-28 (registered; Registration No. 15-0358) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Clay-walled storehouse construction, single storey with a partial 2nd floor, tiled roof, building area 47 square metres, 7.3 metres by 5.6 metres, with a revolving sutra case |
| 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 Sutra Repository (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008849
- Cultural Heritage Online: Gokurakuji Sutra Repository (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/226612
- 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
