Saikyoji Temple Guest Hall

The "Momoyama Palace" Said to Come from Fushimi Castle

The Saikyoji Temple Guest Hall (西教寺客殿, Saikyōji Kyakuden) is a shoin-style building of 1597 at Saikyoji, head temple of the Tendai Shinsei school in Sakamoto-honmachi, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture; it was designated on July 31, 1902, and is now an Important Cultural Property.

The national record gives 27.1 meters by 15.3 meters, single-story, hip-and-gable at the south end and gabled at the north, with a roof of wood shingles. It runs north to south on the west side of the temple, facing the Taishō-era Shoin across to the north.

Tradition holds that it is a palace building moved from Fushimi Castle, the seat of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and it is also called the Momoyama Goten. According to the temple's heritage guide, Yamanaka Nagatoshi, a retainer of Hideyoshi who helped rebuild the temple, moved a building from Fushimi Momoyama Castle to Saikyoji in the twelfth month of 1598. That is a year after the Agency's date of 1597, and the story of the move remains tradition.

Why the Guest Hall Is an Important Cultural Property

The Saikyoji Temple Guest Hall was one of the early buildings placed under national protection in 1902 under the Ancient Shrines and Temples Preservation Law, and it is treated as an Important Cultural Property under today's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. The heritage guide describes it as plain outside but unusually large for a guest hall with formal reception rooms.

Verandas run along the south and east sides, and the Kenjin-no-ma on the east has paneled doors across its opening. On the west side is a tea room, itself in shoin style with an alcove and shelves. From outside it looks calm, with plank verandas and a shingled roof, while inside it is laid out as a formal reception suite.

What to Look For

Outside, follow the eave line of the shingled roof. Thin overlapping boards give a lighter line than tile. The two ends differ, hip-and-gable to the south and gabled to the north.

The Biwako Otsu Tourism Association highlights a "throne room of Hideyoshi" and sliding-door paintings by the Kano school inside. The Guest Hall Side Gate in the south fence leads to the veranda outside the principal room.

Visiting the Guest Hall

The interior of the Saikyoji Temple Guest Hall is not normally open. In 2026 it is being shown in special openings; after a spring opening, the Biwako Otsu Tourism Association lists an autumn opening from November 7 to December 6 (checked October 2026). Dates and fees can change, so check the temple's announcements before you go. Opening hours, admission and directions for the temple are on the Saikyoji Temple page.