Priests' Quarters with a Hearth Room
The Honjoji Temple Kuri (Priests' Quarters) (本成寺庫裏) is priests' quarters with a large hearth room of 1895 in Nishihonjoji, Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 14, 2021 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a timber building of one storey, partly two, with tiled and partly sheet-metal roofs and a building area of 567 square metres, altered in 1981; registration number 15-0557.
A Hearth Room with Paired Pillars
The Honjoji Temple Kuri, or priests' quarters, stands at the south-west of the precincts under a pantiled hip-and-gable roof, showing its gable to the east, with a family entrance to the north and a formal entrance to the south (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
At the centre, the hearth room is two rooms of 24 mats each, where a pair of pillars recut from the posts of the former main hall stands; the temple office to the south was once an earth-floored space (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that it stands beside the guest hall and gives character to the temple grounds, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the hearth room and its pair of pillars recut from the former main hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Honjoji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Niigata Prefecture tourism site, the grounds are free and open every day, with a fee for the treasure hall; it is about 15 minutes on foot from JR Sanjo Station. The five buildings are covered together on the Honjoji Temple group page.
Q&A
- When was the Kuri (Priests' Quarters) built?
- In 1895, with alterations in 1981 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How large is the hearth room?
- Two rooms of 24 mats each.
- What are the paired pillars?
- A pair recut from the posts of the former main hall.
- What was the temple office originally?
- An earth-floored space.
- When was the Honjoji Temple Kuri (Priests' Quarters) registered?
- On October 14, 2021 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Honjoji Temple Kuri (Priests' Quarters) (本成寺庫裏) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3861 Nishihonjoji 1-chome, Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2021/10/14 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 1 storey (partly 2), tiled and sheet-metal roofs, 567 m² |
| Owner | Honjoji Temple |
| Public Access | Grounds open freely; 15 min walk from JR Sanjo Station |
References
- Honjoji Temple Kuri (Priests' Quarters) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013976
- Honjoji (Niigata tourism site, Japanese)
- https://niigata-kankou.or.jp/spot/5728
Last verified: 2026.10.19
