A Sub-Temple and a Retreat Hall Under One Roof
Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido (金剛寺無量寿院・籠堂, Kongō-ji Muryōju-in Komori-dō) is a mid-Meiji building (1883 to 1897) at Amanosan Kongoji in Amanocho, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture, and it was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017.
Muryojuin was one of Kongoji's sub-temples and was merged into Kongoji in 1888, together with Daisen-in, Shinpuku-in, Manzo-in, and Chisoku-in. A komorido is a hall where pilgrims stay while they seclude themselves in prayer. The Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido joins the sub-temple building and such a retreat hall in a single structure, one behind the other from south to north. Note that the second character is read komori, not kago ("basket").
It stands on the east bank of the Amano River; the temple's conservation plan places it south of the Great Lecture Hall, to which it is linked by a covered corridor.
A Curved-Gable Porch and an Archaic Gable End
The Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a building that carries the character of several periods at once.
The southern Muryojuin part has a hip-and-gable main block roofed in pantiles, fronted by a formal reception porch under a curved karahafu gable facing forward. The northern Komorido has a gabled pantiled roof and is entered from the gable end, a layout called Tsumairi.
The gable end of the Komorido uses a double tier of rainbow beams with a bottle-shaped strut above, an old-fashioned temple arrangement. Elsewhere the building relies heavily on glass doors and windows and reads as distinctly modern. Old form and Meiji glass sharing one building is what makes it interesting.
Dating Questions and Recent Repairs
The Agency dates the Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido to the mid-Meiji era, but the building inventory in the temple's conservation plan gives the Edo period. The two sources do not agree.
According to the plan, repairs and a partial reduction in size were carried out between 2019 and 2021. The building area of 234 square metres in the Agency's record reflects the building at registration in 2017 and may differ from its present footprint.
The plan also reports that a girder on the south side has rotted through and that the roof valleys leak. It sets a partial dismantling repair, including reroofing the south side, as a medium-term task.
Visiting the Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido
The Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido is not on the temple's visitor route, and no public opening of the interior is announced. From outside, compare the curved-gable porch on the south with the gable end of the Komorido on the north to see the building's two faces.
On the Komorido gable, trace how the two tiers of beams carry the bottle-shaped strut. The Great Lecture Hall to the north is linked to it by a covered corridor. Consult the temple office before trying to approach or photograph it. Directions, opening hours, and admission for the whole precinct are on the Amanosan Kongoji Temple page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Osaka
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido
- [ USJ Tickets Osaka Castle & Dotonbori Food Tours ]
Q&A
- How do you read the name Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido?
- Kongō-ji Muryōju-in Komori-dō. A komorido is a hall where pilgrims stay while secluding themselves in prayer.
- When was the Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the mid-Meiji era, 1883 to 1897. The temple's conservation plan gives the Edo period instead.
- What are the architectural features of the Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido?
- A hip-and-gable Muryojuin block with a curved-gable formal porch on the south and a gable-entry Komorido on the north, whose gable end has double rainbow beams and a bottle-shaped strut, combined with extensive modern glazing.
- Has the Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido been repaired?
- The conservation plan records repairs and a reduction in size between 2019 and 2021, and it lists a further partial dismantling repair of the south side as a medium-term task.
- Can visitors see the Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido?
- It is not on the visitor route and no interior opening is announced. Expect an exterior view, and contact the temple office if you wish to go closer.
Basic Information
| Name | Kongoji Temple Muryojuin and Komorido (金剛寺無量寿院・籠堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1539 Amano-cho, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2017 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building; tiled roof; building area 234 square metres (at registration) |
| Owner | Amanosan Kongoji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewing only (no public interior access announced) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kongoji Muryojuin Komorido (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011764
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kongoji Muryojuin Komorido
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/294520
- 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
- 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: 2026.09.15
