Otsu Betsuin Temple Main Hall

A Shin Buddhist Hall of 1649

The Otsu Betsuin Temple Main Hall (大津別院本堂) is the large main hall of Otsu Betsuin, a branch of Higashi Honganji, counted among the older Shin Buddhist main halls of 1649 in Chuo 2-chome, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on June 7, 1961 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a single-storey hall nine bays by ten with a hip-and-gable tiled roof and a one-bay porch; designation number 01519.

A Large Shin Buddhist Hall

The main hall of Otsu Betsuin, a branch temple of Higashi Honganji (Shinshu Otani-ha) in Chuo, Otsu City, Shiga, is a single-storey hall nine bays wide and ten deep, with a hip-and-gable roof of tiles and a one-bay porch at the front (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

On its date, the Agency record gives 1649, as does the Otsu City information board; the record's commentary, however, gives 1601 and counts it among the older Shin Buddhist main halls (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the city board, its outer sanctuary is wider than the inner one, a feature of Shin Buddhist halls, and the carvings of its transoms and frog-leg struts reflect the sect and the period.

Why It Is an Important Cultural Property

The Agency values the main hall as one of the older Shin Buddhist main halls, at a branch temple of Higashi Honganji.

What to Look For

At the main hall, look for the wide outer sanctuary of a Shin Buddhist hall and the carvings of its transoms and struts (Otsu City board).

Visiting

The hall is owned by Otsu Betsuin (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting hours or access was found.