What Is the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda?
The Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda (遍照寺多宝塔, Henshōji Tahōtō) is a Momoyama-period two-tiered pagoda built in 1606 in Kasaoka Chuo-cho, Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1975.
Henshōji is a temple of the Shingon school. The Agency for Cultural Affairs reads its name as Henshōji, while Kasaoka City writes the reading as Henjōji; both refer to the same temple. Tradition holds that the temple was moved to its site in Kasaoka during the Genkō era (1331 to 1334).
A tahōtō is a distinctive Japanese pagoda type: a square lower story, a white dome-like collar above it, and a round upper story under a second square roof. Today no temple buildings surround the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda. When the land in front of JR Kasaoka Station was redeveloped in the 1970s, Henshōji moved to reclaimed land in the Nishinohama district, but the pagoda and the ginkgo tree beside it stayed where they were. The surrounding plot is now Icho Park (Ginkgo Park), which leaves a 400-year-old pagoda standing on its own among the shops and houses of the station district.
Why the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda Matters
The construction date of 1606 rests on two independent pieces of evidence: an ink inscription on the ceiling of the first story, and the carved text of a stone monument next to the tower. The monument is included in the designation as an attached item (tsuketari). It records that the Lotus Sutra was recited at the dedication ceremony.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that although the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda is small, its details show the character of its period, and much of the original interior painting survives. According to Okayama Prefecture, it is the oldest of the four tahōtō pagodas in the prefecture.
The structure is a three-bay tahōtō with Hongawarabuki tile roofs. Okayama Prefecture gives its height as 15.5 meters, with a column span of 3.94 meters.
What to Look for at the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda
A tiled dome
On most tahōtō, the dome-shaped section above the first roof, called the kamebara or "turtle belly," is finished in white plaster. Here it is covered in the same round clay tiles as the roofs. Kasaoka City says the dome was originally plastered and was changed to tile during a repair in the Meiji era (1868 to 1912). Look just above the lower roof and you can see the curved rows of tile wrapping the dome, a detail that sets the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda apart from most of its kind.
The painted interior
Inside, the ceiling, walls and pillars are covered in brightly colored patterns and pictures. Kasaoka City attributes the work to a painter named Chōsetsu, and the ceiling carries a coiled dragon. This is the original decoration that the national commentary singles out, though it is not normally open to view.
The stone monument and the weeping ginkgo
The stone monument beside the tower is the very object that confirms its date, so take a moment to find it. Next to it rises a large ginkgo locally called the "weeping ginkgo" for its drooping branches, though that is a nickname rather than a botanical variety. It is said to have been planted to mark the pagoda's completion, and its age is estimated at about 400 years. The Kasaoka City Tourism Association puts its height at about 25 meters. In late autumn the leaves turn bright yellow, a strong contrast with the dark tiles of the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda.
Visiting the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda
The Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda is a short walk from JR Kasaoka Station on the San'yō Line. The Kasaoka City Tourism Association gives the walk as 2 minutes and Okayama Prefecture as 5 minutes. By car, it is about 15 minutes from the Kasaoka interchange on the San'yō Expressway.
Okayama Prefecture lists the public access as exterior only. Because the tower stands in Icho Park, you can view the exterior freely from the park, and there is no admission charge. The interior paintings are not normally shown, so photographs and published descriptions are the way to see them.
No photography restrictions are posted, and the exterior can be photographed from the park. Note that Henshōji's current main hall and other buildings are at the relocated temple in Nishinohama, a separate site from the pagoda.
Q&A
- When was the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda built?
- In 1606. The date is confirmed by an ink inscription on the first-story ceiling and by the carved text of the stone monument beside the tower.
- When was the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On June 23, 1975. One stone monument is included in the designation as an attached item.
- Why is there no temple around the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda?
- During the 1970s redevelopment of the area in front of Kasaoka Station, Henshōji moved to Nishinohama. Only the pagoda and the ginkgo tree remained, and the site became Icho Park.
- Can visitors go inside the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda?
- Okayama Prefecture lists it as exterior only. The painted interior is not normally shown, but the exterior can be viewed freely from Icho Park.
- Is the Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda within walking distance of Kasaoka Station?
- Yes. It is a few minutes on foot from JR Kasaoka Station (2 minutes according to the Kasaoka City Tourism Association, 5 minutes according to Okayama Prefecture).
Basic Information
| Name | Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda (遍照寺多宝塔), with 1 attached stone monument |
|---|---|
| Location | 16-2 Kasaoka Chuo-cho, Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 1975 |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Dimensions | Three-bay tahoto; height 15.5 meters; column span 3.94 meters (per Okayama Prefecture) |
| Owner | Henshoji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior only (viewable from Icho Park) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/3027
- Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda, Cultural Heritage Online (Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/123834
- Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda, Okayama Prefecture cultural property sheet (Japanese, PDF)
- https://www.pref.okayama.jp/uploaded/attachment/260711.pdf
- Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda with Stone Monument, Kasaoka City Official Website (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kasaoka.okayama.jp/soshiki/39/51962.html
- Weeping Ginkgo of Henshoji, Kasaoka City Official Website (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kasaoka.okayama.jp/soshiki/39/2480.html
- Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda, Kasaoka Tourism WEB (Japanese)
- https://www.kasaoka-kankou.jp/spot/294/
Last verified: 2026.09.25