A Sutra Repository With Six Sides
Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository was built in 1885 at a Jodo Shinshu Honganji-ha branch temple in Yokkaichi, Usa City, Oita Prefecture, and became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2016.
It stands south of the main hall, facing east. The building is a single-storey storehouse structure of 30 square metres on a hexagonal plan, raised on a stepped stone podium. The roof is a pyramidal hip covered with round-and-flat tiling, crowned with a sacred jewel finial, and a curved-gable porch projects at the front.
Sutra repositories are normally square or rectangular. Hexagonal ones are rare, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository as a valuable example of the hexagonal type.
Six Outside, Eight Inside
Within stands an octagonal revolving sutra case. The device holds the scriptures on a turning frame, and turning it once has traditionally been held to count as having read them.
The interesting part is the mismatch. The shell has six sides, the case inside has eight, so wall and cabinet face never align at any point. Turning a revolving case in a cramped interior needs a generous inscribed circle, while the exterior was evidently required to stay hexagonal. Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository reconciles those two demands inside 30 square metres.
The building was listed under the criterion for contribution to the historic landscape.
A Building With No Single Front
A hexagon has no settled facade. Walk around it and the wall in front of you swaps one facet at a time, and the ridge lines of the pyramidal roof rearrange themselves with each step. Circling Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository changes its appearance more than the size of the building would suggest.
The walls are sealed in lime plaster right up into the eaves soffit, but the posts and horizontal ties are modelled through the render, so fine lines run across the white surface. Watching those lines break at each corner works best from around 45 degrees rather than square on.
The curved-gable porch pushes a single facet of the hexagon outwards. Where that swept roof meets the straight geometry beneath is worth approaching closely.
Visiting Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository
Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository stands south of the main hall and its exterior is freely visible from within the precinct. Walking as far around it as the ground allows is the quickest way to grasp a hexagonal plan.
The interior is closed and the revolving case cannot be seen. Ask at the temple about any scheduled openings. Photographing the exterior is unrestricted.
Visiting conditions and directions for the precinct are given on the Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Oita
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository
- [ Beppu Hell Tour & Yufuin Onsen Hot Springs ]
Questions and Answers
- When was Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository built?
- In 1885.
- Why is Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository hexagonal?
- It is an unusual shape for a sutra repository. The Agency for Cultural Affairs values it as a rare hexagonal example but records no reason for the choice.
- What is inside Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository?
- An octagonal revolving sutra case, a turning frame that holds the scriptures. The interior is closed, so it cannot be viewed.
- Is the interior of Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository open?
- No. Ask the temple about any scheduled opening. The exterior can be seen freely from the precinct.
- What kind of roof does Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository have?
- A pyramidal hip roof with round-and-flat tiling and a sacred jewel finial at the apex, with a curved-gable porch at the front.
Basic Information
| Name | Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository |
|---|---|
| Location | 1410-1 Yokkaichi, Usa City, Oita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 25 February 2016 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Floor area 30 square metres, hexagonal plan, with revolving sutra case |
| Owner | Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the precinct; interior closed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Sutra Repository
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011020
- Usa City: List of Designated and Registered Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.usa.oita.jp/sougo/soshiki/18/shakaikyoiku/3/bunkazai/2149.html
- Usa City: Higashi and Nishi Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin
- https://www.city.usa.oita.jp/tourist/touristspot/touristspot2/touristspot3/10183.html
- Oita Prefecture: List of Nationally Designated and Selected Cultural Properties
- https://www.pref.oita.jp/kyoiku/tmp/bunka/post-101/1.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.13
