What the Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda Is
The Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda (正法寺宝塔, Shōbōji Hōtō) is a late Kamakura-period stone Hōtō standing in the grounds of Shoboji Temple in Kamakake, Hino Town, Shiga Prefecture; it carries an inscription dating it to 1315 and was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1960.
Shoboji belongs to the Myoshinji branch of Rinzai Zen. It sits at the foot of Mount Shoboji (361.8 meters), about 5.3 kilometers southeast of Hino Station on the Ohmi Railway, and locals know it simply as the wisteria temple for the trellises that fill its courtyard each spring. The Shoboji Hōtō is easy to miss. It stands on the hillside just above and beside the main hall, so visitors who stay under the wisteria can leave without ever seeing it.
A note on the name: Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs reads the temple name as Shōbōji, while Shiga Prefecture's official tourism site spells it Shōhōji. This article follows the Agency's reading.
Why a Small Stone Pagoda Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency's database sums up the monument in one line: a stone hōtō erected in Shōwa 4 (正和4年, 1315), according to its own inscription. The Shōwa (正和) era of the early fourteenth century is unrelated to the modern Shōwa (昭和) era of the twentieth century. It is listed as a single structure and was designated on February 9, 1960, under designation number 01458.
That inscription is the heart of its value. The database records it as 正和二二年大才乙卯十二月参日, a date in the twelfth month of Shōwa 4 (正和4年). The carver wrote the number four as two stacked "twos" (二二), and added 大才 (the year star) and 乙卯, the cyclical sign of the year. Those details agree with each other: 正和4年 was in fact a kinoto-u year in the sixty-year cycle. Many medieval stone pagodas carry no date and have to be placed by style alone. A piece dated this precisely becomes a fixed point against which undated monuments of the same period can be compared.
A stone hōtō follows a simple stack: a square base, a cylindrical body, a broad roof cap, and a spire of rings called a Sōrin on top. The Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda is protected as a reliably dated Kamakura-period example of that form.
The Agency's database does not publish its height or other measurements.
What to Look For at the Shoboji Hōtō
Walk past the side of the main hall and climb a little way up the slope. The Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda stands with the hillside at its back, a quiet spot just above the bustle of the wisteria courtyard. The stone in front of you has been here for more than 700 years.
Start with the silhouette. The proportions of base, body, cap and spire differ from one hōtō to the next, and stepping a few paces downhill to look up at the cap shows its thickness and the curve of its eaves more clearly.
Then look for the inscription. How legible the characters are depends on weathering and on the angle of the light, so low sun in the morning or late afternoon tends to bring out the cut strokes better than flat midday light.
The wisteria peaks in May and draws crowds, but the Shoboji Hōtō is there all year. In fresh green or autumn color you are likely to have the slope nearly to yourself.
Visiting the Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda
The Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda is an outdoor stone monument viewed from outside; there is no interior to enter. During the wisteria season (early to mid May, according to the Hino Tourism Association) the grounds get busy and a reception desk or conservation contribution may be in place, so either visit outside that window or check with the Hino Tourism Association (0748-52-6577) beforehand. No official guidance on photography was found; please be considerate when a service is under way or the grounds are crowded.
By public transport, take the bus bound for Kamakake from Hino Station on the Ohmi Railway Main Line and ride about 25 minutes to the last stop, Kamakake. Shoboji is about a 10-minute walk from there. This bus does not run on Sundays or national holidays, so on those days you will need a car or taxi. Shiga Prefecture's tourism site lists parking for 45 cars and 3 large vehicles. From the car park, head to the main hall and go around its side up the slope to find the Shoboji Hōtō.
Q&A
- When was the Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda made?
- Its own inscription dates it to 1315 (正和4年), in the late Kamakura period. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the text as 正和二二年大才乙卯十二月参日.
- Where exactly is the Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda within the temple grounds?
- On the hillside just above and beside the main hall. It is hard to see from the level wisteria courtyard, so walk around the side of the main hall and look uphill.
- Can I reach the Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda by train and bus?
- Yes. Take the Kamakake bus from Hino Station on the Ohmi Railway (about 25 minutes) to the last stop, then walk about 10 minutes. The bus does not run on Sundays or national holidays. The temple has parking for 45 cars.
- Can I see the Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda outside the wisteria season?
- Yes. It is an outdoor stone monument that can be viewed from outside in any season. In the wisteria season the grounds are crowded and a reception or contribution may apply, so it is worth checking with the Hino Tourism Association first.
- How is the name of the Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda pronounced?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives the reading Shōbōji Hōtō. Some sources, including Shiga Prefecture's tourism site, spell the temple name Shōhōji, and locals often call it the wisteria temple.
Basic Information
| Name | Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda (正法寺宝塔) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kamakake, Hino Town, Gamo District, Shiga Prefecture (Shoboji Temple grounds) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 1960 (Showa 35) |
| Quantity | 1 stone pagoda |
| Dimensions | Unknown (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Owner | Shoboji Temple |
| Public Access | Outdoors; the exterior can be viewed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Shoboji Temple Hoto Pagoda
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1489
- Shiga Prefecture Tourism (Biwako Visitors Bureau): Shoboji (Wisteria Temple)
- https://www.biwako-visitors.jp/spot/detail/544/
- Hino Tourism Association: Wisteria Temple Shoboji
- https://hino-kanko.jp/nature/fuji/
Last verified: 2026.10.06