Saikyoji Temple Kanrantei

A Vermilion-Walled Pavilion by the Guest Hall Garden

The Saikyoji Temple Kanrantei (西教寺観瀾亭, Saikyōji Kanrantei) is a sukiya-style reception pavilion from the late Meiji period, standing on the west side of the temple behind the space between the Guest Hall and the Shoin at Saikyoji in Sakamoto, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 28, 2001.

The national record lists a single-story timber building with a tile roof and a building area of 51 square meters. The roof is hip-and-gable on the south and hipped on the north, and the temple's heritage guide notes its gently swelling Teri-mukuri curve. It is registration number 25-0150.

According to the guide, the pavilion sits at the foot of the hill beside the Guest Hall garden, a stroll garden around a pond said to date from the mid-Edo period. Ran means a great wave, and the name, "pavilion for viewing the waves," marks it as a room for enjoying a view.

Why the Kanrantei Was Registered

The Saikyoji Temple Kanrantei was registered under the criterion for buildings that serve as a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes an elegant sukiya building with vermilion sand-finished walls inside and out, rustic bark-edged rails and transom panels decorated with waves.

There are two rooms: an eight-mat room with alcove and shelves, and a six-mat room with shelves. The value lies in how much refinement, in wall color, timber and transom design, is packed into a small building.

What to Look For

Above all, the color. Vermilion sand walls inside and out stand out among the temple's mostly white-walled buildings, and the bark-edged rails add a touch of the rustic.

The waves on the transom panels echo the pavilion's name. Compare it with the Shin-zashiki, which has the same two-room plan but white plaster walls and red-oxide posts, and the contrast in color schemes is striking.

Visiting the Kanrantei

The Saikyoji Temple Kanrantei stands behind the Guest Hall, and public access to its interior has not been confirmed. Ask the temple if special openings of the Guest Hall include views toward the garden side. Opening hours, admission and directions for the temple are on the Saikyoji Temple page.