Saikyoji Temple Shoin

A Great Shoin Built for a Grand Service

The Saikyoji Temple Shoin (西教寺書院, Saikyōji Shoin) is a reception hall built in 1916 facing the Guest Hall from the north at Saikyoji, head temple of the Tendai Shinsei school in Sakamoto, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 28, 2001.

It was built in readiness for a great service of continuous nembutsu held in 1917. The national record gives 13 by 9 bays and a building area of 490 square meters, the largest of Saikyoji's eighteen registered buildings, under a single-story hip-and-gable tile roof.

It is registration number 25-0149. Set opposite the Guest Hall across a north-south axis, it reads as a modern great hall placed in dialogue with the older building.

Why the Shoin Was Registered

The Saikyoji Temple Shoin was registered under the criterion for buildings that serve as a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it follows the traditional Shoin-zukuri style while being heavy-timbered, neat and strong throughout.

Inside are a front suite of four rooms on the south and a rear suite of six rooms on the north. According to the temple's heritage guide, the west end of the front suite has a built-in writing alcove, a large tokonoma eight and a half mats wide and staggered shelves a full mat across. Remove the sliding partitions and the rooms become one great hall, a clear sign that it was built to receive the crowds of a major service.

What to Look For

From outside, take in the mass of the big hip-and-gable roof. Over a length of thirteen bays, the posts and beams never look undersized; stand under the eaves and the Agency's word "heavy-timbered" makes sense.

The heritage guide notes a garden of the same period laid out on the north side, facing the six rear rooms. It is separate from the older garden behind the Guest Hall.

Visiting the Shoin

The Saikyoji Temple Shoin is used for temple ceremonies and events, and how much of the interior is shown on a regular visit has not been confirmed. The exterior can be seen from the grounds north of the Guest Hall, though access may be limited on event days. Opening hours, admission and directions for the temple are on the Saikyoji Temple page.