A Standard Shin Buddhist Hall, Carefully Made
The Honkoji Temple Main Hall (本光寺本堂) is a Jodo Shinshu main hall of the late Edo period in Sawanekagomachi, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 7, 2008 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 177 square metres, altered in 1935; registration number 15-0292.
A Classic Shin Buddhist Plan
The Honkoji Temple Main Hall stands near the middle of its plot on the south side of the street, facing north. It is a three-bay hall 11 metres across under a gabled pantiled roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
From the front come a broad veranda, the outer sanctuary and a railed area, and behind them the inner sanctuary with side rooms to left and right, the standard plan of a Jodo Shinshu main hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that, plain as the exterior is, the bracketing and transoms are carefully made, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look at the plain gabled exterior and the careful work of the brackets and transoms (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Honkoji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The four structures are introduced together on the Honkoji Temple page. No official visiting information was found.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In the late Edo period; it was altered in 1935 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is the plan?
- The standard plan of a Jodo Shinshu main hall.
- What is the roof?
- A gabled pantiled roof.
- Where is it?
- In Sawanekagomachi, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture.
- When was the Honkoji Temple Main Hall registered?
- On March 7, 2008 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Honkoji Temple Main Hall (本光寺本堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 39 Sawanekagomachi, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/03/07 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 177 m² |
| Owner | Honkoji Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Honkoji Temple Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006819
Last verified: 2026.10.21
