The Karamon Gate, Kannon Hall and Corridors
Hogonji Temple (宝厳寺, the karamon gate, Kannon Hall and corridors) is a group of four buildings of 1603 at Hogonji on Chikubushima in Lake Biwa, Hayazaki-cho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture; the gate was designated a National Treasure on March 31, 1953, and the Kannon Hall and two corridor sections are Important Cultural Properties designated on March 27, 1901. The gate was also protected under earlier law in 1901 before becoming a National Treasure.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the gate as a one-bay mukai-karamon, the Kannon Hall as five bays by four under a hip-and-gable roof, and the corridors as two sections, a low-roofed one of eight bays and a high-roofed one of two bays, all roofed in cypress bark. One ridge tablet is designated with the gate. According to the temple, the gate stands on the west side of the Kannon Hall and joins it at the back, while the corridors run east from the hall toward Tsukubusuma Shrine.
Why These Buildings Matter
The Agency explains that in 1603 Toyotomi Hideyori, with Katagiri Katsumoto as commissioner, moved the gate here together with the Kannon Hall from another site. A diary entry of 1602 in the Shunkyuki records the dismantling of the Gokuraku Gate of the Toyokuni shrine for donation to Chikubushima; the Agency says it is unclear whether this gate is that one, but calls its powerful structure, vigorous carving and metalwork the finest of all surviving Momoyama-period karamon.
The temple's official site notes a strengthening theory that the Gokuraku Gate had itself come from Osaka Castle to the Toyokuni Mausoleum, so that the karamon is now regarded with interest as the only surviving building of Hideyoshi's Osaka Castle. Lacquered black throughout, with bold carvings set into the gable, the panelled doors and the panels beside them, all brightly painted, it is a showpiece of Momoyama architecture.
The Kannon Hall is thought to date from the same time, and black lacquer on its posts right down beneath the floor makes it clear that it was moved here. Standing on a slope, it is partly supported on long posts below the floor in the kakezukuri manner. The corridors have long been called the Funa-rouka, the Boat Corridor, from a tradition that they were built with timber from the deckhouse of the Nihon-maru, the flagship Hideyoshi used in his invasions of Korea, according to the official site.
What to Look For
At the gate, start with the cusped karahafu gable and the carving beneath it. Black-lacquered posts and beams are studded with gilt fittings, and brightly coloured carvings fill the gable and the panels around the doors. A conservation project from fiscal 2013 to fiscal 2019 re-roofed the cypress bark, relacquered the woodwork, restored the paint and regilded the metal fittings, finishing in March 2020, so the colour and shine seen today were renewed on the basis of that research.
At the Kannon Hall, notice how a veranda wraps the core of the building and the posts at its outer edge rise to the eaves to form an enclosure fitted with windows. Inside, the southern one-bay strip is the outer sanctuary and the north is the inner sanctuary, where the principal image, a Kamakura-period standing Thousand-Armed Kannon, is enshrined. During the conservation work, lacquer and paint from the time of the relocation were found in the inner sanctuary and rear corridor, and these were cleaned and consolidated rather than repainted.
The corridor is one bay wide and roofed, with a sloping ceiling that exposes the rafters and lattice windows between the posts. As you walk, watch the roof rise where the low section meets the high one.
Visiting
The gate, Kannon Hall and corridors lie on the route visitors follow through the precinct after landing on Chikubushima. Worship and temple seal hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., matched to the sightseeing boats, according to the official site. Apart from the island entry fee, no separate charge is listed for seeing the gate or the hall.
The Kannon Hall houses the principal image of the 30th Saigoku pilgrimage stop and is open for worship. The corridor serves as the passage from the Kannon Hall to Tsukubusuma Shrine. Boats and the island entry fee are covered on the Chikubushima Hogonji Temple page.
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Q&A
- Why is the Hogonji Temple karamon gate linked to Osaka Castle?
- It is said to have come from the Gokuraku Gate of the Toyokuni Mausoleum in Kyoto, and a strengthening theory holds that this gate first stood at Osaka Castle. The Agency for Cultural Affairs says it is unclear whether the gate is the Gokuraku Gate.
- When was the Hogonji Temple karamon gate designated a National Treasure?
- On March 31, 1953. The Kannon Hall and corridors have been Important Cultural Properties since March 27, 1901.
- Why is the Hogonji Temple corridor called the Boat Corridor?
- Tradition says it was built with timber from the deckhouse of the Nihon-maru, the flagship used by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It is a roofed corridor running from the Kannon Hall to Tsukubusuma Shrine.
- Has the Hogonji Temple karamon gate been restored recently?
- Yes. From fiscal 2013 to fiscal 2019 the roofs were re-covered in cypress bark and the lacquer, paint and metal fittings were restored, with the work finished in March 2020.
- Is there a separate fee to see the Hogonji Temple gate and Kannon Hall?
- No separate fee is listed beyond the island entry fee. Worship hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the treasure hall charges its own admission.
Basic Information
| Name | Hogonji Temple (karamon gate, Kannon Hall and corridors) (宝厳寺) |
|---|---|
| Location | Hayazaki-cho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture (Chikubushima) |
| Designation | National Treasure (karamon gate); Important Cultural Property (Kannon Hall, 2 corridor sections) (Structures) |
| Year Designated | Gate: National Treasure 1953/3/31 (Showa 28). Kannon Hall and corridors: designated 1901/3/27 (Meiji 34) |
| Quantity | 4 buildings (with 1 ridge tablet) |
| Dimensions | Gate: one-bay mukai-karamon. Kannon Hall: 5 by 4 bays, hip-and-gable roof. Corridors: 8 by 1 bays (low roof) and 2 by 1 bays (high roof). All cypress-bark roofing |
| Owner | Hogonji Temple |
| Public Access | Open within the precinct; worship hours 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
References
- 宝厳寺 唐門 (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1521
- 宝厳寺 観音堂 (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1520
- 宝厳寺 渡廊（低屋根） (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1522
- 宝厳寺 渡廊（高屋根） (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1523
- Conservation of the karamon gate, Kannon Hall and corridors (Chikubushima Hogonji official site)
- https://www.chikubushima.jp/construction/
- Access (Chikubushima Hogonji official site)
- https://www.chikubushima.jp/access/
Last verified: 2026.10.03
Cultural Treasures in the Same Area
All are within walking distance in the same area, so we recommend visiting them together.
- Hogonji Temple Karamon 0.00 km
- Hogonji Temple Kannon Hall 0.01 km
- Hogonji Temple Corridor (low roof) 0.03 km
- Hogonji Temple Corridor (high roof) 0.04 km
