The Jikoji Temple Priests' Quarters
The Jikoji Temple Priests' Quarters (慈光寺庫裏, Jikō-ji Kuri) is the kitchen and residence building of Jikoji in Hiruno, Gosen City, Niigata Prefecture; built in 1759, it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 23, 2012.
A Kuri combines a temple's kitchen with the living quarters of its priests. The Jikoji kuri is joined to the southwest corner of the main hall and faces north. At 26.7 by 14.1 metres, with a building area of 374 square metres, it is the second largest of the registered buildings after the main hall. Its roof is a copper-clad Irimoya-zukuri, and it was renovated in 1987.
Why the Jikoji priests' quarters were registered
After the fire of 1755, this was the first building finished in the main precinct of Jikoji. The main hall followed four years later, in 1763, so the community rebuilt its kitchen and living space before it rebuilt its place of worship.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs values the Jikoji priests' quarters as a large kuri that preserves the layout of a late Edo-period Soto Zen temple. It was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
The plan runs from formal to practical. At the end nearest the main hall are the jōshitsu, the abbot's room, and a study (shoin). At the far end are an inner shrine to Idaten, the guardian deity of Zen kitchens, an earth-floored work area (Doma), and the quarters of the tenzo, the monk in charge of meals. Along the front runs a tsuchien, a veranda left as bare earth.
What to look for at the Jikoji Temple Priests' Quarters
As you face the main hall, the Jikoji priests' quarters is the wing on your right, to the south. Its north front looks onto the forecourt, across from the Zen hall and common quarters.
Look at the earth veranda along the front. Unfloored and open, it sits halfway between indoors and out, and it gives the long front of the building its character.
Note where the building meets the southwest corner of the main hall. The join puts the abbot's room right beside the main hall.
Visiting the Jikoji Temple Priests' Quarters
Gosen City lists the buildings of Jikoji as open to view from outside only. The priests' quarters include the abbot's room and other spaces in daily use, so unless you are shown in, view them from the forecourt.
For zazen and sutra-copying bookings or other questions about visiting, the Jikoji temple office can be reached on 0250-58-4000.
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Q&A
- When were the Jikoji Temple Priests' Quarters built?
- In 1759, the first building completed in the main precinct after the fire of 1755 and four years before the main hall of 1763.
- What are the Jikoji Temple Priests' Quarters?
- The kuri, the temple's combined kitchen and residence, with the abbot's room and a study near the main hall and an Idaten shrine, work area and cook's quarters at the other end.
- What is the tenzo room in the Jikoji Temple Priests' Quarters?
- The quarters of the tenzo, the monk responsible for preparing meals for the community. At Jikoji it lies at the kitchen end of the building.
- How large are the Jikoji Temple Priests' Quarters?
- 26.7 by 14.1 metres, with a building area of 374 square metres, second only to the main hall among the registered buildings.
- Can visitors enter the Jikoji Temple Priests' Quarters?
- Gosen City lists the building as open to view from outside only. It includes spaces in daily use, so view it from the forecourt unless invited in.
Basic Information
| Name | Jikoji Temple Priests' Quarters |
|---|---|
| Location | 870 Hiruno, Gosen City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered February 23, 2012 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 26.7 by 14.1 metres; building area 374 square metres |
| Owner | Jikoji Temple Religious Corporation |
| Public Access | Exterior only (per Gosen City) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Jikoji Kuri
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009140
- Cultural Heritage Online: Jikoji Kuri
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/243613
- Gosen City: Jikoji
- https://www.city.gosen.lg.jp/organization/21/7/1/1/1870.html
- Gosen City Tourism Association: Takiya Jikoji
- https://gosen-kankou.niigata.jp/spot/223/
Last verified: 2026.09.19
