Myohonji Temple Banshindo

Myohonji Bandindo: A Polychrome Momoyama Jewel at the "Western Minobu"

Tucked into the wooded uplands of central Okayama Prefecture, in the quiet town of Kibichuo, stands one of western Japan's most exquisite small-scale shrine buildings: the Bandindo of Myohonji Temple. Though modest in footprint, this single-bay sanctuary is an Important Cultural Property of Japan, designated by the national government in 1927. Its richly carved and brilliantly painted timberwork captures the flamboyant spirit of the Momoyama period (late 16th century), an age when Japan's craftsmen reached new heights of decorative bravura. For travelers seeking an authentic encounter with Japanese religious architecture far from the crowds of Kyoto and Nara, Myohonji Bandindo offers something rare: serenity, sophistication, and a story that links a remote Okayama hillside to the very heart of medieval Kyoto.

What Is the Bandindo?

The word "Bandindo" (番神堂) refers to a hall that enshrines the Sanjuban-shin, or "Thirty Guardian Deities." This tradition, born from Japan's centuries-long fusion of Buddhism and Shinto known as shinbutsu-shugo, holds that thirty Shinto deities take turns each day of the month to protect the nation, the imperial court, and the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. The cult was particularly cherished by the Nichiren school of Buddhism, whose founder Nichiren and his disciple Nichiro lineage taught that these gods stood guard over devotees of the Lotus Sutra.

At Myohonji, the formal name of the building is the Myohonji Chinju Sanjuban-shindo — the "Hall of the Thirty Tutelary Deities of Myohonji." Inside, thirty carved figures are enshrined, each representing a specific guardian deity assigned to a specific day of the month. Some pilgrims even time their visits to coincide with the day governed by their personal protector deity.

Historical Background

The story of Myohonji Bandindo begins not on this Okayama hillside but in the cosmopolitan Kyoto of the late 15th century. According to temple tradition, in the sixth year of the Meio era (1497), the powerful Kyoto-based Shinto theologian Urabe (Yoshida) Kanetomo — founder of the influential Yoshida school of Shinto — composed a treatise on the Thirty Guardian Deities titled the Banshin Mondosho and sent it to Myohonji for comment. The seventh abbot of Myohonji, the priest Nichigu, replied with a learned and elegant rebuttal that so impressed Kanetomo that, in admiration, he commissioned a small shrine hall from master craftsmen in Kyoto and donated it to Myohonji.

The building visible today, however, dates from a later rebuilding in the Momoyama period (late 16th century), when the structure was renewed in the lavish ornamental style then in fashion. The exuberant carvings, gilded surfaces and saturated mineral pigments are classic hallmarks of that age — the same artistic moment that produced the gilded screens of Kano Eitoku and the polychromed gates of Nikko's predecessors.

The Mother Temple: "Western Minobu"

Myohonji itself was founded in 1281 by Date Danjo Tomoyoshi, a Kamakura warrior who had been appointed local steward (jito) of this district. Deeply moved by witnessing the Tatsunokuchi Persecution — a famous incident in which the founder Nichiren narrowly escaped execution — Tomoyoshi became a devout follower and built a temple on a hill northeast of his residence. Because Myohonji served as the principal western base for Nichiren-sect missionary activity, it came to be known as Nishi-Minobu, the "Western Minobu," paired in spirit with the great mother temple of Mount Minobu in Yamanashi.

Why It Was Designated an Important Cultural Property

Myohonji Bandindo received its national designation as an Important Cultural Property on April 25, 1927. Several qualities make it worthy of this status.

A Refined Architectural Form

The hall is built in the ikkensha-nagare-zukuri style — a single-bay sanctuary with an asymmetrical gabled roof whose front slope extends gracefully forward to shelter a small worship space. This is by far the most common form of Shinto main hall in Japan, but Myohonji's example stands out for the addition of a karahafu, an elegantly cusped, undulating gable, fitted over the front eaves. The roof is finished in kokera-buki, a labor-intensive technique using thousands of paper-thin wooden shingles overlapped to produce a smooth, almost organic surface.

Momoyama Polychrome Carving at Its Best

What truly distinguishes the Bandindo is its decorative program. Every available surface — bracket complexes, head-penetrating tie beams, frog-leg struts, transom panels — is alive with carved dragons, peonies, mythical birds and swirling clouds, all finished in vivid mineral pigments and gold leaf. This gokusaishiki (extreme polychrome) style was a Momoyama-period speciality, and the Bandindo is regarded as a representative example of the genre in the Sanyo region.

A Living Document of Religious History

The hall is also valued as a tangible witness to the late-medieval dialogue between Yoshida Shinto and Nichiren Buddhism. The original Banshin Mondo Tosho — the very response document that prompted Kanetomo's gift — survives at the temple as a paper scroll measuring 25.1 cm by 5.78 metres, and is publicly displayed each autumn during the Myohonko ceremony.

Highlights for Visitors

Although the Bandindo is small, it rewards careful, slow looking. Approach from the main hall and circle the building deliberately. Note how the roof's silhouette, with its rippling karahafu, reads almost like a piece of calligraphy against the surrounding cedars.

The Carved Surfaces

Bring a camera with a good zoom or a small pair of binoculars. The deeply carved bargeboards, dragons coiled at the eaves, and the lotus-and-peony imagery on the bracket complexes reward magnified viewing. Even after centuries of weathering, the original mineral pigments still glow on protected surfaces.

The Surrounding Compound

Don't rush away after seeing the Bandindo. Myohonji's main hall, designated a prefectural Important Cultural Property, is itself a fine example of Nichiren-sect architecture, with a sweeping iri­moya hipped-and-gabled roof finished in kokera shingles. The grounds also hold a stone statue of Saint Nichiren, the graves of the Date clan (later renamed Noyama), and excavated Bizen ware vessels — thirty-seven pieces of which are themselves designated as cultural property.

Autumn Foliage

Late November transforms the compound into a quiet riot of color. Maples turn crimson around the main hall, and a towering ginkgo tree, said to rival the hall in height, sheds golden leaves across the moss. Locals consider Myohonji one of the prefecture's underappreciated autumn gems.

The Myohonko Ceremony

Twice a year, on April 12 and September 12, the temple holds the Myohonko, a memorial gathering at which historical treasures including the original Banshin Mondo Tosho scroll are placed on view. Visiting on these days offers an unusually rich glimpse of Nichiren-sect ritual life.

Visitor Information and Access

Myohonji sits in a peaceful rural setting in the highlands of central Okayama Prefecture. The temple welcomes worshippers and respectful visitors throughout the year, and there is generous free parking. The grounds and the exterior of the Bandindo can be viewed at any time, though the interior of buildings is generally not open for sightseeing outside of special ceremonies.

Getting There

• By car: Approximately 10 minutes from the Kayo Interchange of the Okayama Expressway.
• By public transport: From JR Bicchu-Takahashi Station, take a bus bound for Higashimura (about 30 minutes) to the "Yamane-guchi" stop, then walk approximately 20 minutes uphill. A taxi from Bicchu-Takahashi Station takes about 20 minutes.

Visitors are reminded that the temple is an active place of worship. Please refrain from loud conversation, observe any signs about photography, and dress modestly when entering halls.

Around Kibichuo Town

Kibichuo Town occupies the geographic centre of Okayama Prefecture and rewards travelers who venture beyond the better-known coastal sights. After visiting Myohonji, consider these nearby attractions.

Shigemori Mirei Memorial Museum

This small museum honors the modernist garden designer Shigemori Mirei, a native of the area whose dynamic stone-and-moss compositions transformed 20th-century Japanese landscape design. The geometric power of his work is unforgettable.

Michi-no-Eki Kamogawa Enjo

A roadside station beloved by locals, where you can pick up Kibichuo specialities including the celebrated camembert cheese of Yoshida Farm, smoked sausages from Makiba-no-Yakata, and freshly baked bread from the local bakery.

Kibikogen Plateau

The wider Kibi Highland offers cycling routes, brooks teeming with the rare Japanese roller bird (bupposo), and panoramic walking trails — a full slow-travel itinerary for a long weekend.