Chojuji Temple Main Hall

A Model of Early Kamakura Japanese Style

The Chojuji Temple Main Hall (長寿寺本堂) is the early Kamakura main hall of Chojuji in Higashidera, Konan City, Shiga Prefecture, which in 1953 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey hipped hall five bays square with a three-bay porch and cypress-bark roof, designated with the shrine cabinet inside.

The Agency notes that its date is uncertain but its style points to the early Kamakura period, the porch being somewhat later.

Structure

According to the Agency, it is a five-bay-square hall in pure Japanese style, divided into inner and outer sanctuaries, each spanned by rainbow beams. Above them, forked struts in the inner and frog-leg struts with bracket sets in the outer carry ridge beams, forming a hip-and-gable ceiling inside and a hipped ceiling outside, all covered by a great roof.

The one-bay kasuga-style shrine inside bears an ink inscription of 1480 on its inner wall, and its style agrees with that date.

What to Look For

The Agency calls it an outstanding example of early Kamakura Japanese style, valuable not only for its design but for preserving old features down to its roof framing and the reverse curve of its roof surfaces.

Notice how the ceilings differ between the inner and outer sanctuaries, both covered by one great roof.

Visiting the Chojuji Temple Main Hall

The temple is open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Admission and access are on the Chojuji group page.