What Is Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower?
Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower (常敬寺鐘楼, Jōkyō-ji Shōrō) is the belfry standing southeast of the main hall at Jokyoji Temple in Teramachi 2-chome, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture; it was built in 1792 and became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 6, 2025, under registration number 15-0607.
The timber structure rises from a raised stone base. It is two bays across and one bay deep, with a building area of 14 square meters, under a hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) roof clad in copper (Dōban-buki). It was repaired around 1985. The tower went up 61 years after the main hall.
How Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower Is Framed
The posts of Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower are square in section and set with a slight inward lean, known as korobi, that gives the frame a tapering stance. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out their height: this is a tall tower for its footprint. To steady those long posts, a head beam called a daiwa ties their tops together, and three tiers of tie beams (Nuki) run between them.
On top of each post sits a three-bearing bracket set (mitsudo) with a sanehijiki, a short bearing block, which carries the rounded eave purlin. The eaves are single-layered, with rafters laid closely side by side. A small shelter for a heavy bell is built with the same kit of parts as a Buddhist hall.
The Agency registered Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower for "contributing to the historic landscape of the country," describing it as a plain belfry that nevertheless gives shape to the historic look of the temple grounds.
Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower's Single Carved Bracket
The space between bracket sets is often filled with an ornament. At Jokyo-ji's bell tower, only the west face has one: a frog-leg strut, or Kaerumata. The other three sides are left bare. Walk all the way around and compare the faces, and the single carving on the west stands out.
Look up at the eaves as well. From the southwest corner you can see the close-set rafters fanning toward the corner and the way the bracket sets receive the eave purlin. The Agency's database chose this same southwest corner for one of its two photographs.
Visiting Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower
Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower stands toward the south of the grounds; walk from the main gate toward the main hall and turn left. The exterior can be viewed freely at no charge, and the leaning posts, the three tiers of tie beams and the bracket sets under the eaves are all visible from the ground.
The temple gives no guidance on whether visitors may ring the bell or climb into the tower, so ask Jokyo-ji directly if you hope to. Directions to the grounds are on the Jokyoji Temple page.
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Q&A
- When was Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower built?
- It was built in 1792 and repaired around 1985.
- Where is Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower within the grounds?
- Southeast of the main hall, toward the south side of the precinct, on a raised stone base.
- What is distinctive about the structure of Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower?
- Tall, inward-leaning square posts are tied by a head beam and three tiers of tie beams, and bracket sets with bearing blocks carry the eave purlin. The eaves use close-set rafters.
- Where is the carved frog-leg strut on Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower?
- Only on the west face. The other three sides have no ornament between the bracket sets.
- Can visitors ring the bell at Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower?
- No guidance is published. Please ask Jokyo-ji directly.
Basic Information
| Name | Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower |
|---|---|
| Location | 117-1 Teramachi 2-chome, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered August 6, 2025 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2 bays by 1 bay; building area 14 m² |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Jokyoji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable freely from the grounds |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Jokyoji Temple Bell Tower (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00015430
- Summary of properties to be registered (Niigata Prefecture, PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.niigata.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/438007.pdf
- Official notice of registration, August 2025 (Niigata Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.niigata.lg.jp/site/bunka/tourokutoushin250821.html
- List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Joetsu (Joetsu City, PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.joetsu.niigata.jp/uploaded/attachment/273003.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.29
