The Founder's Shrine Behind the Main Hall
Toshoji Temple Founder's Hall and Memorial Tablet Hall (洞松寺開山堂及び位牌堂, Tōshō-ji Kaizandō oyobi Ihaidō) is a pair of linked halls behind the main hall of Toshoji, a Soto Zen monastery in Yakage, Okayama Prefecture, built between 1716 and 1735 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 25, 2011. The tablet hall attaches to the back of the main hall's sanctuary, and the Founder's Hall continues beyond it. Together they cover 66 square meters.
The Founder's Hall is square, 6.8 meters on each side, under a pyramidal Hōgyō-zukuri roof sheathed in metal. The tablet hall is a narrow block 3.8 meters by 5.1 meters with a simple two-sided tiled roof, the kind of plain connecting structure you would expect between two more important halls.
Two Portrait Sculptures of the Temple's Founders
A founder's hall enshrines the monk who established a temple, and Toshoji's story here has a twist. When Kisan Shosan revived the temple as a Soto Zen house in 1412, he named his own teacher, Jochu Tengin, as founder and took second place himself. According to the Yakage Board of Education, the altar at the back of the Founder's Hall holds a seated portrait said to be Kisan Shosan on the left (81 centimeters tall) and one said to be Jochu Tengin on the right (87 centimeters). Both are assembled-wood portraits with inset crystal eyes, thought to date from the mid-Muromachi period, and both were designated by Okayama Prefecture in 2000.
The Memorial Tablet Hall has altars on both sides for ancestral tablets. Seen in sequence, the three connected halls move from the Buddha in the main hall, through the tablets of those tied to the temple, to its founders at the very back.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs values the building for showing the order in which the temple grew: the main hall of 1697 came first, and the halls behind it followed some two decades later in the Kyoho era. They were altered again in the late Edo period, early Meiji and late Showa, which is why most of the roofing is now metal with only part of it still in tile.
What to Look For
Toshoji Temple Founder's Hall and Memorial Tablet Hall sits at the end of the straight line that runs from the Sanmon through the main hall. From the courtyard the big main-hall roof hides it, so walk along the side of the main hall and around the back. There the small pyramid roof of the Founder's Hall appears behind the heavy tiles.
The metal roof has a thin, crisp edge that looks almost weightless next to the main hall. Following the three roofs as they run on without a break is the clearest way to read how these halls were added one behind the other.
Visiting the Founder's Hall
The halls enshrine the temple's founders and forebears, and no regular opening days are announced. If you want to see the two portrait sculptures, ask the temple in advance. The exterior can be seen by walking around the side of the main hall; keep clear of paths the monks are using, and limit photographs to the outside.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Toshoji Temple Founder's Hall and Memorial Tablet Hall
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Q&A
- What is enshrined in Toshoji Temple Founder's Hall and Memorial Tablet Hall?
- The altar at the back holds two seated portrait sculptures, said to represent Kisan Shosan and his teacher Jochu Tengin. Both are assembled-wood works thought to date from the mid-Muromachi period and were designated by Okayama Prefecture in 2000.
- When was Toshoji Temple Founder's Hall and Memorial Tablet Hall built?
- Between 1716 and 1735, in the Kyoho era, after the main hall of 1697. It was repaired in the late Edo, early Meiji and late Showa periods and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 25, 2011.
- Can visitors enter Toshoji Temple Founder's Hall and Memorial Tablet Hall?
- There are no regular opening days. Contact Toshoji in advance to ask about viewing the interior or the sculptures. The exterior is visible from behind the main hall.
- What kind of roof does Toshoji Temple Founder's Hall and Memorial Tablet Hall have?
- The Founder's Hall has a pyramidal hōgyō roof sheathed in metal, and the tablet hall has a simple two-sided tiled roof. Most of the roofing was converted to metal in later repairs.
- Where is Toshoji Temple Founder's Hall and Memorial Tablet Hall in the precinct?
- Directly behind the main hall. The tablet hall attaches to the back of the main hall's sanctuary and the Founder's Hall continues beyond it; walk around the side of the main hall to see them.
Basic Information
| Name | Toshoji Temple Founder's Hall and Memorial Tablet Hall (洞松寺開山堂及び位牌堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3796 Funakidani, Yokotani, Yakage-cho, Oda District, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/7/25 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Founder's Hall 6.8 meters square; tablet hall 3.8 meters by 5.1 meters; building area 66 square meters |
| Owner | Toshoji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the precinct; interior not normally open (inquire in advance) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Toshoji Temple Founder's Hall and Memorial Tablet Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008764
- Yakage Board of Education, Cultural Properties of Yakage: Prefecturally designated properties (portrait sculptures of Kisan Shosan and Jochu Tengin)
- https://bunkazai.yakage-kyouiku.info/shiteibunkazai/picp
- Yakage Board of Education, Cultural Properties of Yakage: National and registered properties (Toshoji)
- https://bunkazai.yakage-kyouiku.info/shiteibunkazai/nicp
Last verified: 2026.09.24
