Kinzenji Triple Treasure Pagoda

A Rare Treasure of Nanbokuchō Stone Craft: The Three-Tiered Hōkyōintō at Kinzenji Temple

Tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood of Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Kinzenji Temple (金禅寺) harbors one of Japan's most unusual and historically significant stone monuments — a three-tiered hōkyōintō (宝篋印塔). Designated as a nationally Important Cultural Property in 1961, this granite pagoda dates back to the year 1349, during the turbulent Nanbokuchō period of medieval Japan. While standard hōkyōintō towers feature a single-tier canopy, this remarkable structure boasts three stacked tiers, making it an exceptionally rare example of Japanese stone craft and Buddhist devotional art.

Historical Background of Kinzenji Temple

The history of Kinzenji stretches back to the Nara period, when the great monk Gyōki is said to have founded a grand temple complex known as Kanadera (金寺), complete with seven-hall monastery compounds and a thousand lodging quarters. For centuries, this temple served as a spiritual center for the region. However, during the Sengoku (Warring States) period, the temple was ravaged by fire amid the military campaigns of Oda Nobunaga against Araki Murashige, and much of the complex was destroyed.

In the Edo period, the eminent Ōbaku Zen monk Tetsugen Dōkō (鉄眼道光, 1630–1682) revived the site as one of his eight training halls (八ヶ道場). Tetsugen, renowned for his monumental achievement of printing the entire Buddhist canon (Tripitaka) — a project that took over a decade — re-established the temple as a branch of Manpukuji in Uji. He added the character "zen" (禅) to the original name "Kanadera," creating the new name "Kinzenji" (金禅寺), and designated its mountain name as Daiōzan (大応山). To this day, the temple belongs to the Ōbaku school of Zen Buddhism and preserves a distinctly Chinese-influenced aesthetic, most notably in its elegant Chinese-style gate.

Why It Was Designated an Important Cultural Property

The Three-Tiered Hōkyōintō at Kinzenji was designated a nationally Important Cultural Property on March 23, 1961. Several qualities make this stone tower stand out among Japan's many hōkyōintō pagodas.

First, the tower's three-tiered structure is exceptionally rare. The vast majority of hōkyōintō throughout Japan feature only a single canopy (笠). The Kinzenji pagoda, by contrast, features three progressively smaller tiers stacked upon one another — an unusual architectural choice that gives the tower a distinctive silhouette and demonstrates the creative ambition of its medieval builders.

Second, the tower bears a dated inscription on its base, recording the year Jōwa 5 (貞和5年, equivalent to 1349), a Northern Court era date during the Nanbokuchō period. In the Southern Court calendar, this corresponds to Shōhei 4. Such precisely dated stone monuments are invaluable to scholars, as they provide firm chronological anchors for understanding the evolution of stone craft during the medieval era.

Third, the inscription reveals that the tower was erected through the collective donations of a group of devotees — a practice known as kesshū (結衆), in which community members pooled their resources to commission a monument for spiritual merit. This gives us precious insight into the communal religious practices of 14th-century Japan.

Architectural Highlights and Unique Features

The tower is constructed entirely of granite (花崗岩) and, including the now-lost finial (相輪) section at the top, originally consisted of six separate stone components. Its construction showcases sophisticated stone-carving techniques characteristic of the Nanbokuchō period.

The stepped profile of the canopies is carefully graduated: the upper edge of the first-tier canopy features a projecting ledge upon which the second-tier body sits, while the second-tier body in turn supports the third tier. The step moldings (段型) on the upper edges of the canopies are arranged in two and three tiers respectively, creating a rhythmic visual ascent.

On the four faces of the first-tier body (塔身), representations of the Four Buddhas appear. One face displays a carved image (像容) of a Buddhist figure, while the remaining three faces bear Sanskrit seed syllables (梵字/bīja), each symbolizing a different Buddha of the esoteric Four Directional Buddhas.

Though the topmost finial (相輪) — the characteristic pinnacle that typically crowns hōkyōintō towers with a series of rings — has been lost over the centuries, the remaining structure retains remarkable integrity and allows visitors to appreciate the refined proportions and craftsmanship of the original work.

Understanding the Hōkyōintō: A Buddhist Stone Tower Tradition

For visitors unfamiliar with Japanese Buddhist stone monuments, a hōkyōintō is a type of memorial or devotional pagoda whose name derives from the Hōkyōin Darani (宝篋印陀羅尼), a sacred Buddhist incantation (dhāraṇī). The tower is intended to enshrine this sacred text, and the act of venerating the tower is believed to bring spiritual merit — purifying past sins, alleviating suffering, and granting longevity.

The form traces its origins to ancient India and the legend of Emperor Ashoka (阿育王), who is said to have distributed 84,000 miniature stupas across the world. In 10th-century China, King Qian Hongchu of Wuyue created 84,000 bronze pagodas in emulation of this tradition. These were later transmitted to Japan, where stone versions became popular from the mid-Kamakura period onward, evolving into distinctive Japanese forms that served as grave markers, memorial towers, and devotional monuments.

Other Cultural Treasures at Kinzenji

While the Three-Tiered Hōkyōintō is the temple's most celebrated cultural property, Kinzenji houses additional treasures worth noting. The temple's principal image of worship, a standing statue of Jūichimen Kannon (Eleven-Headed Kannon), is designated an Osaka Prefectural Cultural Property. Dating to the late Kamakura period (around 1300 CE), this wooden sculpture stands approximately 145.8 cm tall. Carved from cypress in the yosegi-zukuri (assembled wood block) technique, the statue features crystal eyes and a serene yet lifelike expression. Sacred texts including the Heart Sutra and Kannon Sutra are inscribed inside its body cavity, and a dated inscription on the inner left thigh records the year Shōan 2 (1300).

Visitor Information

Kinzenji Temple is located in a peaceful residential area of Toyonaka, easily accessible from central Osaka. The temple grounds are compact but well-maintained, and the Three-Tiered Hōkyōintō stands in front of the main hall, visible without any surrounding barriers. As long as the temple gate is open, visitors can freely view the tower at close range.

The temple's Chinese-style gate (山門) is itself a point of interest, reflecting the distinctive Ōbaku Zen architectural influence that sets this temple apart from other Buddhist temples in the area.

Surrounding Attractions

Toyonaka City offers several cultural and historical sites that pair well with a visit to Kinzenji. Toyonaka Inari Shrine (豊中稲荷神社) is just a short walk north and features rows of striking red torii gates. Harada Shrine (原田神社), located near Okamachi Station one stop south, is a historically important Shinto shrine whose main hall is also designated a nationally Important Cultural Property. The temple known as Tōkōin (東光院), popularly called "Hagi no Tera" (Temple of Bush Clover), is famous for its approximately 3,000 bush clover plants that bloom beautifully each autumn. For those interested in Japanese aviation history, the Kōshien Yakyū Memorial Park commemorating the birthplace of high school baseball in Japan is also located in the Toyonaka area.