A Thatched Temple Hall That Looks Like a Farmhouse
The Saiganji Temple Main Hall (西願寺本堂, Saigan-ji hondō) is a thatched main hall of the mid-Edo period (1661 to 1750) at Saiganji, a Jodo Buddhist temple in Funakicho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 10, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey timber building with a thatched roof and a building area of 223 square metres; registration number 25-0232, owned by the religious corporation Saiganji.
A Farmhouse-Style Jodo Hall
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a Jodo Buddhist main hall that looks like a farmhouse from outside, dated from its structure and details to around the mid-17th century.
Omihachiman City lists the Saiganji main hall among the town's nationally registered properties, alongside the buildings of the former Nakagawa brickworks in the same Funakicho district.
Why It Was Registered
The Saiganji Temple Main Hall was registered as a structure that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes its exterior, a great thatched roof ringed by tiled lean-to roofs, as farmhouse-like.
What to Look For
The roof is hip-and-gable and thatched, with pantiled lean-to roofs on all four sides, and the front entrance canopy is raised a step (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The front half of the plan is the outer sanctuary and the back half the inner sanctuary with side chapels, surrounded by wide verandas, with the entrance canopy at the front (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
Saiganji is a working temple, and no information on visiting hours or interior access has been published. Please be considerate of the temple and worshippers.
The address is 1246 Funakicho, Omihachiman City.
Q&A
- When was the Saiganji Temple Main Hall built?
- In the mid-Edo period; the Agency for Cultural Affairs estimates around the mid-17th century from its structure and details.
- What is distinctive about the roof?
- A thatched hip-and-gable roof ringed by pantiled lean-to roofs, with the front canopy raised a step (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the hall laid out?
- An outer sanctuary in front and an inner sanctuary with side chapels behind, surrounded by wide verandas (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit the Saiganji Temple Main Hall?
- No information on visiting has been published.
- When was the Saiganji Temple Main Hall registered?
- On November 10, 2005.
Basic Information
| Name | Saiganji Temple Main Hall (西願寺本堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1246 Funakicho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/11/10 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, thatched roof, building area 223 square metres |
| Owner | Saiganji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Temple main hall (no visiting information) |
References
- Saiganji Temple Main Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004985
- Saiganji Temple Main Hall (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/151595
- Designated cultural properties (Omihachiman City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.omihachiman.lg.jp/kanko/rekishi/1/3144.html
Last verified: 2026.10.14