A Bell Tower Wrapped in a Flared Skirt
Kongoji Temple Bell Tower (金剛寺鐘楼, Kongō-ji Shōrō) is a bell tower of the early Muromachi period (1333 to 1392) at Amanosan Kongoji in Amanocho, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture; it was designated by the national government on May 27, 1907, and is today an Important Cultural Property.
The temple's conservation plan places it northeast of the main hall in the central compound. The bell hangs in the upper level, and the lower level is enclosed by a flaring wall called a hakamagoshi, after the pleated trousers of formal dress. From outside, the Kongoji Temple Bell Tower looks like a two-storey building, and the plan describes it that way.
Its date overlaps the decades of war between the Northern and Southern Courts, when the temple served the Southern Court as a temporary palace.
Form and Designation
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the Kongoji Temple Bell Tower as 3 by 2 Ken, with a hakamagoshi and a hip-and-gable roof of round-and-flat tiles.
Because the skirt wraps the posts on all four sides, the tower feels far more solid than an open-sided belfry; the spreading base seems to take the weight of the heavy tiled roof.
The 1907 designation was made under the Ancient Shrines and Temples Preservation Law, as a "specially protected building." The tower became an Important Cultural Property when the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties took effect on August 29, 1950.
Repaired Again and Again
The plan's building inventory records a major repair of the Kongoji Temple Bell Tower in 1606 and fundamental repairs in August 1700, in 1841, and in 1938, with dismantling repairs also noted in 1939 and 1991.
The latest work was the conservation of 2009 to 2017, carried out with the main hall and the Tahoto pagoda. According to the temple's website, the new round-and-flat tile roof was nearly complete by July 2016.
The list shows a medieval belfry kept in use through repeated repairs across the Edo, modern, and Heisei eras.
Visiting the Kongoji Temple Bell Tower
The Kongoji Temple Bell Tower is inside the central compound and can be seen from outside with the compound ticket. Walk round to the northeast of the main hall to see the flare of the skirt and the tiled roof up close.
The temple's website says nothing about ringing the bell or climbing the tower, so follow any instructions on site, and ask at reception about photography. Directions, opening hours, and admission are on the Amanosan Kongoji Temple page.
Q&A
- Can visitors see the Kongoji Temple Bell Tower?
- Yes, from outside, as part of the central-compound visit. Ask the temple whether the bell may be rung or the tower climbed.
- When was the Kongoji Temple Bell Tower built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Muromachi period (1333 to 1392).
- What is the hakamagoshi on the Kongoji Temple Bell Tower?
- It is the flaring wall that encloses the lower level beneath the bell. It makes the Kongoji Temple Bell Tower look like a two-storey building.
- How has the Kongoji Temple Bell Tower been repaired?
- It was repaired in 1606, 1700, and 1841, among other years, and conserved again from 2009 to 2017.
- When did the Kongoji Temple Bell Tower become an Important Cultural Property?
- It was designated on May 27, 1907, and became an Important Cultural Property on August 29, 1950, when the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties took effect.
Basic Information
| Name | Kongoji Temple Bell Tower (金剛寺鐘楼) |
|---|---|
| Location | Amanocho, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 1907 (Meiji 40) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 3 by 2 ken; hakamagoshi skirt; hip-and-gable roof with round-and-flat tiles |
| Owner | Kongoji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable within the paid central-compound visit |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kongoji Shoro (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2192
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kongoji Shoro
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/201119
- Amanosan Kongoji official website (visitor information)
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/
- Amanosan Kongoji: Heisei Restoration
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/about/repair/
- 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 6-1 (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
Last verified: 2026.09.21
