What Is Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters?
Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters (法明寺庫裏, Hōmyō-ji Kuri) is the residence and kitchen building of Homyoji, a Jodo Shu (Pure Land) Buddhist temple in Fukae-minami, Higashinari Ward, Osaka City; built in 1797, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) of Japan on August 7, 2023. It is a two-story timber building with a tiled roof, and at 258 square meters it is the largest of the temple's four registered buildings.
A Kuri is where a temple's cooking is done and where the resident priests live. At Homyoji it stands east of the Main Hall, and Osaka Cultural Properties Navi notes that the two buildings sit side by side with a small inner garden between them. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records repairs in the mid-Showa period and in 1986.
Why Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters Was Registered
Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency's commentary stresses that it forms the temple's historic precinct together with the Main Hall. Enter by the south gate and the roof and porch of the residence continue to the right of the hall's broad roof, so that the two read as one temple front.
The Agency also calls the interior old-fashioned in several respects. Nine tatami rooms are laid out in a three-by-three grid, a broad earth-floored work area (Doma) and a board-floored room run alongside, and the transoms (Ranma) are carved to look like jointed bamboo. A late eighteenth-century temple household has kept its form while remaining in daily use.
What to Look for on the Outside
The roof of Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters is a hip-and-gable design (Irimoya-zukuri) of interlocking pan tiles (Sangawara-buki), with the entrance on the long side. The building is a Tsushi-nikai type: the upper floor is a low loft under the roof, used for storage, so from outside the eaves sit low and the whole house seems tucked beneath one large roof. Lean-to roofs (Geya) on the front and back add a second, lower tier of eaves.
The feature to find is the formal entrance porch (Shikidai) on the front, where guests of standing were received. Here it has its own small hip-and-gable roof; the Agency even titles its photograph after this gable. From in front of the Main Hall, look to the right and you will see the triangle of the porch gable set against the long line of the main roof behind it.
Visiting Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters
Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters is where the temple household lives, and the interior is closed to the public. The nine-room plan and the bamboo-node transoms can only be seen in the photographs published by the Agency. The exterior is best viewed from in front of the Main Hall, which also gives a clear view of the porch gable.
Please stay out of the entrance area and the inner garden, and avoid photographing windows and doorways of the living quarters. Directions and visiting conditions for the temple as a whole are on the Homyoji Temple page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Osaka
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters
- [ USJ Tickets Osaka Castle & Dotonbori Food Tours ]
Q&A
- When was Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1797. It was repaired in the mid-Showa period and again in 1986.
- Why is Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- Together with the Main Hall it forms the temple's historic precinct, so it was registered in 2023 for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I go inside Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters?
- No. It is the temple's living quarters and the interior is closed to the public. You can see the exterior from in front of the Main Hall.
- What is special about the entrance of Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters?
- The formal shikidai entrance porch has its own hip-and-gable roof. Look for the triangular gable on the front.
- What is the floor plan of Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters?
- Nine tatami rooms in a three-by-three grid, with a broad earth-floored area and a board-floored room alongside. The transoms are carved like jointed bamboo.
Basic Information
| Name | Homyoji Temple Priests' Quarters (法明寺庫裏) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-chome 20 and others, Fukae-minami, Higashinari Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2023 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 258 square meters |
| Owner | Homyoji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Interior closed; exterior viewable from the grounds (ask at the temple) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Homyoji Priests' Quarters (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014636
- Homyoji (Osaka Cultural Properties Navi, Japanese)
- https://osaka-bunkazainavi.org/bunkazai/%e6%b3%95%e6%98%8e%e5%af%ba
Last verified: 2026.10.02
