White Tower on a Stone Podium
Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower was built in 1847 at the northern end of the precinct frontage of a Jodo Shinshu Honganji-ha branch temple in Yokkaichi, Usa City, Oita Prefecture, and became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2016.
It is a two-storey storehouse-type structure of 16 square metres, raised on a stone-faced podium. The lower storey is two bays square, the upper one bay square, so the plan contracts as it rises. The upper roof is a hip-and-gable, with the lower roof swept down from it.
Of the eleven registered buildings here, only the main hall and Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower have a construction date known to the year. 1847 puts the tower twelve years ahead of the 1859 hall.
Storehouse Technique on a Belfry Plan
The distinctive choice here is building a drum tower the way you would build a storehouse. Walls and eaves soffits alike are sealed in lime plaster, with no timber left exposed. The result resists fire and damp, which is a sensible thing to want around an instrument meant to last.
The sealing is not total, though. Posts, horizontal ties, purlins and bracket arms are modelled in relief beneath the plaster, so their outlines survive as shallow ridges on the white surface. The building declines to show its timber while still looking like timber architecture, and at close range Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower makes that game obvious.
Each face of the upper storey is pierced by a cusped window of the type called katomado, with the drum hung inside. Those openings cut the white plane cleanly enough to locate the belfry level from across the precinct.
Reading a White Building
Because Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower is almost monochrome, light decides how much of it you see. Around midday the walls blow out and the modelled posts and ties disappear. Oblique morning or evening light brings them back.
Look at the podium as well. The building is small, and the height of the stonework is doing most of the work in the silhouette. From directly to the side, the change of texture from stone to plaster to roof tile reads as three clean bands.
It also pairs with the bell tower at the south end, so it is worth putting both into one frame.
Visiting Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower
The exterior of Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower can be seen freely from within the precinct. The upper storey is not accessible and the interior is closed, so the drum itself cannot be viewed at close quarters.
There is no restriction on photographing the outside. Standing at the north end, the tower takes eastern light on its front through the morning and tends towards backlight later in the day; morning suits the plaster texture better.
Visiting conditions and directions for the precinct are set out on the Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Oita
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower
- [ Beppu Hell Tour & Yufuin Onsen Hot Springs ]
Questions and Answers
- When was Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower built?
- In 1847. It is one of only two buildings in the precinct whose construction date is known to the year.
- Why is Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower white?
- It uses storehouse construction. Walls and eaves are sealed in lime plaster, which resists both fire and damp and suits a building that houses a drum.
- Can the interior of Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower be visited?
- No. The upper storey is closed and the drum cannot be seen at close range.
- What should I look for at Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower?
- The posts, ties and bracket arms modelled in relief under the plaster, the cusped windows on each face of the upper storey, and the stone podium beneath.
- How big is Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower?
- 16 square metres over two storeys. The lower level is two bays square and the upper level one bay square.
Basic Information
| Name | Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower |
|---|---|
| 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 16 square metres; lower storey two bays square, upper storey one bay square |
| Owner | Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the precinct; upper storey and interior closed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Drum Tower
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011023
- 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
