A Carefully Built Hall of 1827
The Kosenji Temple Main Hall (弘泉寺本堂) is a temple hall built by island carpenters of the Inland Sea of 1827 in Shimotsui Tanoura, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 27, 2018 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 123 square metres, altered in 1976; registration number 33-294.
A Hall on a Stone Platform
The Kosenji Temple Main Hall faces east and was built by carpenters from the islands of the Inland Sea, known for their skill (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is three bays wide and four deep with a one-bay porch, under a pantiled hip-and-gable roof, and stands on a rounded footing of local granite set on a stone-walled platform.
It is soundly built of fine timber, and its details, such as the frog-leg struts, are decorated with refined wave, animal and plant motifs (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes its sound construction of fine timber and refined details, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape of the area.
What to Look For
Look for the wave, animal and plant carvings on the frog-leg struts and the rounded footing on the stone platform (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Kosenji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official visiting information was found. The hall and the gate are covered together on the Kosenji Temple group page.
Q&A
- When was the main hall built?
- In 1827, with alterations in 1976 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who built it?
- Carpenters from the islands of the Inland Sea.
- How large is it?
- Three bays by four, with a one-bay porch, under a hip-and-gable roof.
- What are its details like?
- Frog-leg struts carved with wave, animal and plant motifs.
- When was the Kosenji Temple Main Hall registered?
- On March 27, 2018 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kosenji Temple Main Hall (弘泉寺本堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 843 Shimotsui Tanoura 2-chome, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/03/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof, 123 m² |
| Owner | Kosenji Temple |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Kosenji Temple Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012235
Last verified: 2026.10.19
