Rooms Built for Receiving Guests
Toshoji Temple Abbot's Quarters and Shoin (洞松寺方丈及び書院, Tōshō-ji Hōjō oyobi Shoin) is the reception building of Toshoji, a Soto Zen monastery in Yakage, Okayama Prefecture, built in 1753 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 25, 2011. It stands in the southwest of the precinct, 14 meters north to south and 16 meters east to west, under a hip-and-gable Irimoya-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles with some metal sheeting, and covers 220 square meters.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records an extension in 1835 and a renovation around 1979. The Hōjō section joins the Priests' Quarters to the north and the shoin joins the main hall to the east, so the building sits between the temple's kitchen block and its ceremonial heart.
Status Written into the Floor Plan
On the south side of the hōjō are Zashiki reception rooms with a Tokonoma alcove and a small Chashitsu tea room; the north side is a single 20-mat hall. The shoin has a formal Shikidai entrance step at the front and a large alcove in its inner room. A shikidai was the raised boarding where high-ranking guests stepped up into a building, and its presence says plainly what this wing was for.
In a Zen temple the hōjō began as the abbot's living quarters, but Toshoji Temple Abbot's Quarters and Shoin leans toward receiving visitors, and the Agency's assessment rests on that: a carefully made set of guest rooms. A temple that headed a large network of branch temples across Bitchu would have seen a steady stream of visiting priests and patrons, and the quality of the rooms that received them was part of how the temple presented itself.
What to Look For
Coming through the Sanmon, look to the right and back of the main hall for the roofs of the Abbot's Quarters and Shoin. The interest is in how the irimoya roof links the main hall and the Priests' Quarters: three buildings run on under one continuous roofline, joining ritual space and daily life.
Walk around to the front of the shoin to see the shikidai entrance. It gives the reception wing a front door of its own, separate from the main hall.
Visiting the Abbot's Quarters and Shoin
The building is in everyday use for receiving guests and running the temple, and it is not open for casual viewing. Contact Toshoji in advance if you would like to see inside. The exterior can be seen from the courtyard; people come and go through the entrance, so keep photography there discreet.
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Q&A
- What is Toshoji Temple Abbot's Quarters and Shoin?
- It is the guest-reception building in the southwest of the precinct. The hōjō has alcoved reception rooms, a tea room and a 20-mat hall, and the shoin has a formal shikidai entrance and a large alcove. It was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 25, 2011.
- When was Toshoji Temple Abbot's Quarters and Shoin built?
- In 1753. It was extended in 1835 and renovated around 1979.
- Can visitors go inside Toshoji Temple Abbot's Quarters and Shoin?
- Not freely; the rooms are used for receiving guests and daily temple life. Contact Toshoji in advance if you would like to see the interior. The exterior is visible from the courtyard.
- Where is Toshoji Temple Abbot's Quarters and Shoin in the precinct?
- In the southwest. The hōjō joins the Priests' Quarters to the north and the shoin joins the main hall to the east.
- How big is Toshoji Temple Abbot's Quarters and Shoin?
- It measures 14 meters north to south and 16 meters east to west, with a building area of 220 square meters.
Basic Information
| Name | Toshoji Temple Abbot's Quarters and Shoin (洞松寺方丈及び書院) |
|---|---|
| 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 | 14 meters north to south by 16 meters east to west; building area 220 square meters |
| Owner | Toshoji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the precinct; interior not normally open |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Toshoji Temple Abbot's Quarters and Shoin
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008766
- 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
