22 Buildings Designated Together in 2019
Kongoji Temple (金剛寺, Kongō-ji) is the name under which 22 buildings at Amanosan Kongoji in Amanocho, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture, dating from 1606 to the mid-Edo period, were designated together as an Important Cultural Property on December 27, 2019.
The designation covers the Gobutsudo and Yakushido halls, the Akaiya well house, the Gomado, the Hogugura storehouse for ritual implements, the Gumonjido, the Kaisando, a treasure house, a sutra repository, three small shrine sanctuaries south of the Ryuo pond, the sanctuaries of the guardian Mikumari and Niu Koya shrines, the guardian shrine's worship hall and bell tower, the front gates of the former sub-temples Rishu-in and Shinpuku-in, the South Gate, the Somon outer gate, and two stretches of earthen wall. The main hall, the pagoda, and the other principal buildings of Kongoji Temple are separate Important Cultural Properties.
According to the temple's conservation plan, these buildings had been designated by Osaka Prefecture since March 30, 1973. The national designation of 2019 greatly widened the part of the precinct under national protection.
What the Agency Valued at Kongoji Temple
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the Gobutsudo and Yakushido on the top terrace of the central compound are said to have been founded by the monk Akan and were both rebuilt in 1606, when the Gomado and Hogugura were also put in order. The Gumonjido and Kaisando were built in 1700, the year most buildings in the precinct were repaired.
The guardian shrine on the hill to the east dates from the Keicho era, and the Agency says its setting recalls how medieval mountain temples placed their protective deities. It values Kongoji Temple above all because buildings raised up to the mid-Edo period survive here as a group.
Attached items in the designation include a Buddhist altar platform and a ridge tablet from the Gobutsudo, two stone three-storey pagodas at the Kaisando, and ridge tablets and old frog-leg struts from the guardian shrine.
Halls, Shrines, Gates, and Walls of Kongoji Temple
The Gobutsudo and Yakushido on the top terrace are each 3 ken square with a pyramidal roof. The Gobutsudo has a front aisle and porch and a cypress-bark roof, with corridors to north and south; the Yakushido is roofed in round-and-flat tiles. North of the Mieido stand the Gomado and Hogugura, and to its south is the Akaiya, a well house with a cusped gable and bark roof.
The Gumonjido of 1700 has a hip-and-gable roof of pantiles, and the Kaisando is 1 ken square with a pyramidal shingle roof. Near the pagoda stand two fireproof storehouses, the treasure house (5.0 metres by 4.0 metres) and the sutra repository (5.9 metres by 4.9 metres). South of the Ryuo pond, three small bark-roofed sanctuaries for Benzaiten, the Dragon Kings, and Amaterasu are built in the nagare or kasuga style on shelf-like bases.
The guardian shrine sits on the hill across the Amano River. The sanctuary of Niu Koya Myojin is a three-bay nagare-style building with a triangular dormer gable and a cusped gable at the front, and that of Mikumari Myojin is a single-bay kasuga-style building; both date from 1606 and are roofed in bark. Before them stand a 7-ken worship hall and a bell tower with a hakamagoshi skirt.
Gates and walls are included too. The Somon near the north of the precinct is an eight-pillared gate with a single central passage, and the South Gate is a Yakuimon; both date from 1700. The front gates of former Rishu-in and Shinpuku-in on the east bank are mid-Edo yakuimon that recall the old sub-temples. The two earthen walls run 108.0 metres south and 114.5 metres north from the Romon gate, each with a middle gate.
Repairs Still Needed at Kongoji Temple
The plan, published in 2025, reports that some of the 22 Kongoji Temple buildings need prompt repair. On the northwest side of the central compound, parts of the earthen wall that have lost their roof tiles are temporarily covered with sheet metal, and a partial dismantling with new tiles is under consideration.
The roof of the Kaisando is deteriorating, and the Somon and the gate of former Rishu-in are also listed in the medium- and long-term repair programme.
Visiting the Kongoji Temple Buildings
Most of the 22 Kongoji Temple buildings lie within the central compound and can be seen from outside with the compound ticket. The temple says the Yakushido enshrines Yakushi Nyorai with the bodhisattvas Nikko and Gakko and the Twelve Heavenly Generals, and the Gobutsudo enshrines the Five Wisdom Buddhas.
The Chinju Bridge, which leads to the guardian shrine, is closed for repairs, and the temple expects the closure to last until March 31, 2027. Ask the temple how to reach the shrine in the meantime. The former sub-temple gates on the east bank are seen from the riverside.
Ask at reception about photography. Directions, opening hours, and admission are on the Amanosan Kongoji Temple page.
Q&A
- Which buildings are included in the Kongoji Temple designation?
- Twenty-two structures: the Gobutsudo, Yakushido, Akaiya, Gomado, Hogugura, Gumonjido, Kaisando, treasure house, sutra repository, three sanctuaries south of the Ryuo pond, two guardian-shrine sanctuaries with their worship hall and bell tower, the gates of former Rishu-in and Shinpuku-in, the South Gate, the Somon, and two earthen walls.
- When were the Kongoji Temple buildings designated?
- On December 27, 2019. Before that they had been designated by Osaka Prefecture since March 30, 1973.
- Which are the oldest of the Kongoji Temple buildings?
- The Agency dates the Gobutsudo, Yakushido, Akaiya, Gomado, Hogugura, and the sanctuaries of Mikumari Myojin and Niu Koya Myojin to 1606.
- Can visitors reach the Kongoji Temple guardian shrine now?
- The Chinju Bridge that leads to it is closed for repairs until March 31, 2027, according to the temple. Ask the temple how to visit.
- How long are the Kongoji Temple earthen walls?
- According to the Agency, one runs 108.0 metres south and the other 114.5 metres north from the Romon gate.
Basic Information
| Name | Kongoji Temple (金剛寺) |
|---|---|
| Location | Amanocho, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2019 (first year of Reiwa) |
| Quantity | 22 buildings |
| Dimensions | Gobutsudo 3 ken square with pyramidal cypress-bark roof; earthen walls 108.0 metres and 114.5 metres long; and others |
| Owner | Amanosan Kongoji Temple |
| Public Access | Halls in the central compound viewable from outside within the paid visit; check access to the guardian shrine during the bridge repair |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kongoji Gobutsudo, with commentary (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/00005189
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kongoji Chinju Niu Koya Myojinsha Honden (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/00005202
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kongoji earthen wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/00005210
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kongoji Gobutsudo
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/400938
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kongoji Gumonjido
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/445083
- Amanosan Kongoji official website (visitor information and highlights)
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/
- Amanosan Kongoji: Notice of closure for the Chinju Bridge repair
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/news/news-1382/
- Historic Site Kongoji Precinct Conservation and Utilization Plan, chapter 6-1 (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%A0-1%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
- Historic Site Kongoji Precinct Conservation and Utilization Plan, chapters 7 to 11 (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%AC7%E7%AB%A0%EF%BD%9E%E7%AC%AC11%E7%AB%A0%EF%BC%89.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.21
Cultural Treasures in the Same Area
All are within walking distance in the same area, so we recommend visiting them together.
- Kongoji Temple Main hall of the guardian deity Mikumarimyōjinja Shrine 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Five Buddha Hall 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Tsukiji Wall 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Tsukiji Wall 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Main Gate 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple south gate 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Former Shinpukuin Temple Front Gate 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Former Rishuin Temple Front Gate 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Guardian shrine bell tower 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Shrine worship hall 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Main hall of guardian deity Nyu Takano Myojin Shrine 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Yakushido 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Amaterasu Omikami Shrine Main Hall 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple The main hall of the Hachidai Ryuo Zennyo Ryuo Shrine 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Benzaiten Shrine Main Hall 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple scripture repository 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Treasure house 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Kaizando 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Gumonjido 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Buddhist implement storehouse 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Goma Hall 0.00 km
- Kongoji Temple Akaya 0.00 km
