A Rustic Corridor from the Grand Entrance to the Okuden
Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor (金剛寺本坊渡廊下, Kongō-ji Honbō Watari-rōka) is a covered walkway from the Taisho era (1912 to 1926) in the head priest's quarters of Amanosan Kongoji in Amanocho, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture, and it was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs says the Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor links the Honbo Grand Entrance, built in 1911, with the Okuden, built in 1913. It leads from the front of the Honbo toward the inner hall at the back of the garden.
Logs, Bamboo, and a Thatched Arbor
The Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency praises its rustic, hermitage-like character and the way it works with the garden to shape the scenery.
The corridor is 1 Ken wide under a double-pitched roof of cypress bark. Halfway along stands an arbor 1.5 ken square with a thatched pyramidal roof. The building area is 36 square metres.
The frame is made mostly of round logs and bamboo. The low walls are boarded outside and plastered with earth inside, and the floor is paved with fired clay tiles laid on the diagonal. Choosing natural, barely shaped materials over squared timber links the corridor to the taste of sukiya architecture.
Where the Records Differ
The temple's conservation plan describes the Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor as the passage between the guest hall and the Okuden, not between the Grand Entrance and the Okuden as the Agency states. For the arbor, the plan records a pyramidal cypress-bark roof and a rest shelter 2.7 metres square, which disagrees with the Agency's thatch; 2.7 metres equals 1.5 ken, so the size matches. This article follows the Agency.
The plan also counts the corridor, together with the Okuden, the Grand Entrance, and the Great Lecture Hall, among the features tied to the commemoration of the Southern Court and to civic education before and during the war.
The Honbo also has a Showa-era corridor between the Jibutsudo and the treasure hall; that one is not registered.
Visiting the Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor
The Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor lies in the Honbo garden, and its exterior can be seen during the Honbo visit. The temple has not said if visitors may walk along it, so ask at reception.
At the arbor, the difference between the thatch and the bark roof of the corridor is easy to see. Where you can get close, study the log and bamboo frame and the diagonally laid floor tiles. Check the photography rules at reception too. Directions, opening hours, and admission for the whole precinct are on the Amanosan Kongoji Temple page.
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Q&A
- Which buildings does the Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor link?
- According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor joins the Honbo Grand Entrance and the Okuden. The temple's conservation plan instead says it joins the guest hall and the Okuden.
- When was the Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor built?
- The Agency dates it to the Taisho era, 1912 to 1926, close to the 1913 construction of the Okuden.
- What are the architectural features of the Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor?
- A 1-ken-wide corridor with a cypress-bark roof, a thatched arbor halfway along, a frame of logs and bamboo, and a floor of diagonally laid clay tiles.
- Can I walk along the Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor?
- This is not announced. You can see it from the garden during the Honbo visit; ask at reception about walking it.
- How big is the arbor on the Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor?
- The Agency gives 1.5 ken square, and the conservation plan records a shelter 2.7 metres square.
Basic Information
| Name | Kongoji Honbo Connecting Corridor (金剛寺本坊渡廊下) |
|---|---|
| Location | 995 Amano-cho, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2017 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber structure; cypress-bark roof, partly thatched; building area 36 square metres; width 1 ken |
| Owner | Amanosan Kongoji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable within the paid Honbo visit |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kongoji Honbo Watarirouka (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011761
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kongoji Honbo Watarirouka
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/222867
- Amanosan Kongoji official website (visitor information)
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/
- Historic Site Kongoji Precinct Conservation and Utilization Plan, cover to chapter 5 (PDF)
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/site/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/%E5%8F%B2%E8%B7%A1%E9%87%91%E5%89%9B%E5%AF%BA%E5%A2%83%E5%86%85%E4%BF%9D%E5%AD%98%E6%B4%BB%E7%94%A8%E8%A8%88%E7%94%BB_%E8%BB%BD%E9%87%8F%E7%89%88%EF%BC%88%E8%A1%A8%E7%B4%99%EF%BD%9E%E7%AC%AC5%E7%AB%A0%EF%BC%89.pdf
- Historic Site Kongoji Precinct Conservation and Utilization Plan, chapter 6-2 (PDF)
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/site/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/%E5%8F%B2%E8%B7%A1%E9%87%91%E5%89%9B%E5%AF%BA%E5%A2%83%E5%86%85%E4%BF%9D%E5%AD%98%E6%B4%BB%E7%94%A8%E8%A8%88%E7%94%BB_%E8%BB%BD%E9%87%8F%E7%89%88%EF%BC%88%E7%AC%AC6%E7%AB%A0-2%EF%BC%89.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.15
