Saikyoji Temple Drum Tower

A 1962 Drum Tower on the Northeast Corner

Saikyoji Temple Drum Tower (西教寺太鼓楼, Saikyō-ji Taikorō) is a two-storey drum tower built in 1962 at the northeast corner of Saikyoji in Saiwai, Izumi City, Osaka Prefecture, and it was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 7, 2014.

It is a 2-storey timber building finished in mortar, with a footprint of 14 square metres and a hip-and-gable irimoya roof of interlocking round and flat tiles. Izumi City's heritage guide notes that it was rebuilt in 1962.

A drum tower sounds a drum to announce services and other times of day, and such towers are a familiar feature of Jodo Shinshu temples. The Agency for Cultural Affairs says the Saikyoji drum tower, standing on its corner lot, gives the precinct the characteristic look of a Shin Buddhist temple.

Black-Framed Windows and Plastered Eaves

The Saikyoji Temple Drum Tower was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.

The entrance is on the west side of the ground floor. Upstairs, each of the four walls has a black-framed katomado, a flame-topped window that punctuates the white walls. The exterior is lime plaster, with nageshi rails expressed on the upper storey and eaves modelled to look like boarded eaves.

Though a Showa-era rebuild, it keeps traditional forms such as the flame-topped windows and the irimoya roof, and it holds its corner of the precinct with the bearing of a true tower.

What to Look For

Look for the black-framed windows on all four sides of the upper floor. Because the same window faces every direction, the tower reads clearly from both inside and outside the grounds.

Its corner position matters too. Walk along the road to the north and the Saikyoji drum tower leads the eye on to the North Gate, the sutra repository and the main-hall roof, a continuous run of the temple's north side.

Visiting the Saikyoji Temple Drum Tower

The Saikyoji Temple Drum Tower stands at the northeast corner and can be seen from inside the precinct and from the roads to the north and east. Official information does not mention access to the interior, so ask the temple, and ask about photography as well. Directions are on the Saikyoji Temple (Izumi) page.