Shoboji Temple Bell Tower: one bay square, with a painted ceiling
Shoboji Temple Bell Tower (正法寺鐘楼) stands in the precinct of Shoboji Temple in the Izumi district of Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, built in 1820 and made a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2011 under registration number 15-0339.
It sits south of the Kannon hall. The structure is a single bay square and open on all sides, covering 6.6 m², under an Irimoya-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki tiles with the ridge running north to south. Repairs were carried out in 1898, the latest of the six registered buildings at the temple to be worked on.
Small, and still well composed
Shoboji Temple Bell Tower was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a small bell tower of settled appearance. For a building of 6.6 m² that phrasing is a direct compliment to its proportions.
A bell tower announces the hours of the temple, and at this scale the balance between slender posts and a heavy tiled roof is easily lost. Here the problem was solved through the platform, the way the posts are set, and the choice of roof.
Inward-leaning posts and a coffered ceiling
Foundation stones rest on a stone-built platform, and square posts stand on those. The posts are not vertical: each leans very slightly inward as it rises. The technique is called Uchikorobi, and because the four posts converge a little at the top, the building does not appear to splay when seen from below but seems instead to brace itself against the ground.
The frame is tied with penetrating beams and a head-tie, and Mitsudo-gumi brackets sit above. Between the brackets the intermediate supports alternate between Kaerumata and simple bundled struts. The rafters are laid in the closely spaced double-eave manner. Nothing in the sequence used on a full-scale hall has been left out of a building one bay square.
What draws the eye at Shoboji Temple Bell Tower is the ceiling. A Gō-tenjō is fitted, and every coffer carries a painting. Since there are no walls, standing directly underneath puts the paintings straight overhead. They were not tucked away under the roof but placed where anyone passing would look up and see them.
Visiting Shoboji Temple Bell Tower
Shoboji Temple Bell Tower is open on all four sides, so the frame and the bracketing can be studied from any direction. The inward lean of the posts is easier to catch from a few paces back, following the line of a post from base to head, than from close in front.
To see the coffer paintings you have to stand underneath and look up. It is dark under the roof in daylight, so give your eyes a moment to adjust before trying to follow the designs. The Kannon hall stands to the north of Shoboji Temple Bell Tower, and the two are best seen together from the south.
No notice was found stating whether visitors may strike the bell. If you would like to, ask the temple first on 0259-63-2032.
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Q&A
- When was Shoboji Temple Bell Tower built?
- In 1820, with repairs carried out in 1898.
- What kind of building is Shoboji Temple Bell Tower?
- An open bell tower one bay square, covering 6.6 m², under a hip-and-gable tiled roof with the ridge running north to south.
- What should I look for at Shoboji Temple Bell Tower?
- The paintings in the coffered ceiling. With no walls to block the view, they can be seen simply by standing underneath and looking up.
- Why do the posts of Shoboji Temple Bell Tower lean?
- They are set with a slight inward lean, a technique called uchikorobi, which keeps a small building looking stable rather than splayed.
- Can visitors ring the bell at Shoboji Temple Bell Tower?
- No notice on this could be found. Please check with the temple on 0259-63-2032 before doing so.
Basic Information
| Name | Shoboji Temple Bell Tower |
|---|---|
| Location | 504 Izumiko, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 1 bay square, area 6.6 m² |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Shoboji |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Shoboji Temple Bell Tower (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008666
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties: Shoboji Temple (Sado City)
- https://www.city.sado.niigata.jp/site/bunkazai/4967.html
Last verified: 2026.09.13
