Honzanji Temple (Misaki)

Honzanji Temple, Misaki

Honzanji (本山寺) is a temple in Sadamune, Misaki Town, Okayama Prefecture; its main hall of 1350, three-storey pagoda of 1652 and stone hokyointo of 1335 are each designated as an Important Cultural Property (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The main hall's date of March 28, 1923 is that of designation under the former law. All three are owned by the temple.

According to Okayama Kanko Web, Honzanji is said to have been founded in 701 by the monk Raikan.

Main Hall, Pagoda and Hokyointo

The main hall is five bays square and single-storey, with a hipped roof of cypress bark and a one-bay porch under a cusped karahafu gable (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The pagoda, rebuilt in 1652 by the Mori lords of Tsuyama, keeps orthodox old methods outside while showing new ones within, such as eaves held up by cantilevered beams; the Agency counts it an early pagoda that took in Edo-period structural methods. A stone hokyointo stands near it. Each is described on its own page.

Visiting

According to Okayama Kanko Web, the temple is about 30 minutes by car from Tsuyama IC on the Chugoku Expressway or about 20 minutes by taxi from JR Yuge Station; it gives no hours or fees.