Ryujoin Temple

Ryujoin Temple

Ryujoin Temple (龍乗院) stands on a terrace at the foot of a hill in Higashitaichi, Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture; its main hall of 1819, its bell tower gate of 1922 and its late Edo stone steps and walls became Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on July 31, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Steps rise below the gate and a stone wall to their west bounds the grounds, creating the landscape particular to a temple on high ground (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Three Structures

The main hall, 13.6 by 12.2 metres under a round-tiled hip-and-gable roof, has a six-room plan, a formal entrance under a cusped gable and gable carvings of lion-dogs and tigers (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The bell tower gate sets a traditional timber upper storey on a concrete lower storey faced with granite and white tiles, a mix unique in the area. The eight steps are about 9 metres wide, and the 37-metre wall falls into four sections laid at different times (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Each structure is described on its own page.

Visiting

All three are owned by Ryujoin Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official visiting information was found.