Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Okayama

Hofukuji Temple Zen Meditation Hall

Hofukuji Zen Meditation Hall: Sitting Platforms and Tiles of 1814

The 1814 Zen meditation hall of Hofukuji in Soja, Okayama, with ogee windows, raised sitting platforms and a diagonal tile floor. Registered in April 2009.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Okayama

Hofukuji Temple Zen Meditation Hall: Sitting Platforms and a Diagonal Tile Floor of 1814

The Hofukuji Temple Zen Meditation Hall (寶福寺禅堂, Hōfukuji Zendō) is a meditation hall of 1814 facing south to the northwest of the abbot's quarters at Hōfukuji, a Rinzai Zen temple in Ijirino, Soja City, Okayama Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on April 28, 2009.

A zendo is the hall where monks sit in zazen meditation. This one measures 11 m by 8.1 m, with a building area of 95 square meters. Its roof is a hip-and-gable in the Irimoya-zukuri form, entered from the gable end in the Tsumairi manner and covered with Sangawara-buki pantiles, and a porch (Kōhai) projects from the front. A well is attached on the north side and is included in the registration. The hall was repaired in 1906 and again around 1965.

The front has sliding paper doors with wooden lower panels in the center and ogee-arched Katōmado windows in the bays on either side. Inside, raised platforms called tan run along the left and right, while the central strip, 2 bays wide, is paved with tiles laid on the diagonal, with a shrine cabinet set within it. Its registration number is 33-0215.

Why It Was Registered

The Hofukuji Temple Zen Meditation Hall was registered as a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it preserves the typical form of a Zen meditation hall.

That form lies in the interior. The tan are the raised platforms along both sides of a meditation hall where monks sit side by side in zazen. Between them, the central strip is floored with square tiles set at 45 degrees, and a shrine cabinet stands within it. Places for sitting, for walking and for worship are clearly separated, and the basic plan of a zendo survives intact.

The exterior fits the type as well. The gable-end entrance emphasizes the depth of the hall from the front, and the porch is flanked symmetrically by sliding doors and ogee windows. Katomado are a hallmark of Zen temples, and their use here contrasts with the round windows chosen for the Buddha Hall.

What to Look For

Standing before the Hofukuji Temple Zen Meditation Hall, you see the sliding paper doors beyond the porch with an ogee window on each side. Compare them with the perfectly round windows of the Buddha Hall; the temple's 2 main halls use different window shapes.

Walk to the side to appreciate the depth of the gable-entry roof, and look for the well attached on the north side.

The earthen wall of the abbot's quarters runs in front of the meditation hall. Along this stretch it is 1.5 m high and capped with curved coping tiles, a different finish from the section in front of the abbot's quarters. Seeing the hall and wall together shows how this corner of the monastery was composed.

Visiting

The Hofukuji Temple Zen Meditation Hall stands northwest of the abbot's quarters, and its exterior can be seen. No public opening of the interior is announced.

From the Buddha Hall, walk north to the forecourt of the abbot's quarters; the meditation hall is to the northwest, with the earthen wall running in front of it.

Keep photography to the exterior and keep voices low. On days when zazen sittings are held there is more movement around the hall, so give way to participants.

📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama: Find tours, activities & transport passes near Hofukuji Temple Zen Meditation Hall; [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]

Q&A

QWhen was the Hofukuji Temple Zen Meditation Hall built?: AIn 1814, with repairs in 1906 and around 1965.

QWhen was the Hofukuji Zen Meditation Hall registered?: AOn April 28, 2009, as registration number 33-0215, under the criterion of a model of design.

QWhat is inside the Hofukuji Zen Meditation Hall?: ARaised tan platforms for zazen along both sides, and a central strip 2 bays wide paved with diagonal tiles, with a shrine cabinet.

QHow large is the Hofukuji Temple Zen Meditation Hall?: AIt is 11 m by 8.1 m, with a building area of 95 square meters and a well attached on the north side.

QCan I visit the Hofukuji Zen Meditation Hall?: AThe exterior can be seen; no interior opening is announced. It stands northwest of the abbot's quarters, showing its gable-end front and porch.

Basic Information

Name	Hofukuji Temple Zen Meditation Hall
Location	1968-1 Ijirino, Soja City, Okayama Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	2009 (Heisei 21), registered
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Single-story timber building, tiled roof, building area 95 square meters, with well
Owner	Hofukuji (religious corporation)
Public Access	Exterior only