Ryujoin Stone Steps and Stone Walls

Steps and Walls of the Hillside Temple

The Ryujoin Stone Steps and Stone Walls (龍乗院石段及び石垣) is stone steps and walls bounding the temple grounds of the end of the Edo period (1830–1867) in Higashitaichi, Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on July 31, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records stone steps of eight treads 9.0 metres wide and stone walls 37 metres long in all; registration number 33-0158.

Walls of Four Periods

The Ryujoin Stone Steps and Stone Walls consist of eight steps about 9 metres wide below the bell tower gate and a stone wall to their west that bounds the temple grounds (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The wall runs 37 metres in all and stands 2.6 metres high; its stone dressing and coursing fall into roughly four sections, built at different times (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Why It Was Registered

The Agency notes that the steps and walls create the landscape particular to a temple built on high ground, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.

What to Look For

Look for the broad steps below the gate and the four sections of wall laid in different ways (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Visiting

It is owned by Ryujoin Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official visiting information was found. The three registered structures are covered together on the Ryujoin Temple group page.