The Hall of Kobo Daishi's Portrait
Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall (金剛寺御影堂, Kongō-ji Mieidō) is a Buddhist hall built in 1606, in the Momoyama period, 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 Agency for Cultural Affairs gives the reading Mieido.
A mieido enshrines a portrait (miei) of a school's founder, here Kobo Daishi (Kukai), who established Shingon Buddhism in Japan. According to the temple's history, late in the Heian period the monk Akan received from Mount Koya a portrait of Kobo Daishi painted by Prince Shinnyo, built the Mieido to house it, and began memorial rites for the saint. The temple's conservation plan dates the start of those rites to 1172.
The Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall stands west of the main hall and is joined to the Gobutsudo by a corridor on its north side. The plan treats the Gobutsudo and Mieido as the compound of Sanboin, said to have been Akan's residence, forming a double compound with the main hall and pagoda.
A Pyramidal Hall and Its Moon-Viewing Pavilion
The Agency records the Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall as 4 by 4 Ken and single-storey, under a pyramidal roof. A 1-ken porch projects at the front and a 2-ken porch at the back.
Attached to the hall is a small pavilion called the Kangetsutei, or moon-viewing pavilion. The Agency describes it as 1 ken on the south side and 2 ken on the north, 1 ken deep, single-storey, with a cusped gable facing east, and joined to the Mieido on its west side. Both buildings are roofed entirely in cypress bark. The temple says the Kangetsutei was added in the fourteenth century, during the period of the Northern and Southern Courts.
The Agency dates the hall to 1606, and a ridge tablet is designated with it. The plan's building inventory lists the construction period as "Heian" and, in the same entry, records a complete rebuilding in 1606, which reads as a Heian founding followed by the Keicho rebuilding.
The 1907 designation was made under the Ancient Shrines and Temples Preservation Law, as a "specially protected building." The Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall became an Important Cultural Property when the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties took effect on August 29, 1950.
Keeping the Bark Roof Sound
The plan's inventory records a new roof for the Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall in 1897 and a dismantling repair in 1950. The roof was re-covered in 1994, with partial repairs to fittings, and received minor repairs in 2022.
The roof is still a concern. The plan, published in 2025, reported that the cypress-bark roof and the roof-top base had deteriorated with age and were letting in rain. It calls for emergency measures in the short term, followed by monitoring and a decision on how to repair the whole roof.
Visiting the Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall
The Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall is inside the central compound and can be seen from outside with the compound ticket. Walk round to the east side to see the cusped gable of the Kangetsutei in front of the bark-covered pyramidal roof.
The temple's website does not say whether the portrait of Kobo Daishi can be seen on an ordinary visit. Ask at reception about entering the hall and about photography. Directions, opening hours, and admission are on the Amanosan Kongoji Temple page.
Q&A
- What is enshrined in the Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall?
- A portrait of Kobo Daishi. According to the temple, the Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall began as the hall Akan built for a portrait by Prince Shinnyo that he received from Mount Koya.
- When was the Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1606. The temple's conservation plan records a Heian-period founding and a rebuilding in 1606.
- What is the Kangetsutei at the Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall?
- A small moon-viewing pavilion attached on the east side of the Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall, with a cusped gable facing east. The temple says it was added in the fourteenth century.
- How is the name of the Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall read?
- The Agency's reading is Kongoji Mieido (Mieidō).
- When did the Kongoji Temple Mieido Hall 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 Mieido Hall (金剛寺御影堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | Amanocho, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 1907 (Meiji 40) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 4 by 4 ken; single storey; pyramidal roof; 1-ken front porch and 2-ken rear porch; Kangetsutei pavilion attached; cypress-bark roofing throughout |
| Owner | Kongoji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable within the paid central-compound visit |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kongoji Mieido (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2191
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kongoji Mieido
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/145888
- Amanosan Kongoji official website (visitor information and highlights)
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/
- Amanosan Kongoji: History
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/about/history/
- 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
- 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
