Two Dragons Entwined over the Porch
The Fumonji Temple Bentendo (Former Ryujingu Shrine) (普門寺弁天堂（旧龍神宮）) is a richly ornamented small shrine inside a protective shed of 1714 in Unoyacho, Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 6, 2025 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a tiny timber shrine roofed with wooden shingles, 0.9 square metres in area, moved in 1755 and 1856 and altered in 1999; registration number 23-0612.
A Porch of Two Entwined Dragons
The Bentendo of Fumonji, formerly the Ryujingu shrine, faces east over a pond north of the Daishi Hall and stands inside a protective shed (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a one-bay shrine with a hip-and-gable roof of wooden shingles, a triangular dormer gable on the front and a porch. The brackets are single-step, the eaves two-layered, and the beam ends are carved as cocks' heads.
Over the porch, the curved head beam is formed into a flame-shaped arch by the entwined tails of two dragons, an inventive and richly decorated design (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the building as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the porch arch formed by two entwined dragons and the cock-headed beam ends (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Fumonji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Aichi Prefecture tourism site, the main hall and Daishi Hall are opened from 9:00 to 15:45 during the maple festival from late November to early December, for 700 yen (free for those aged 17 and under). It is about 45 minutes by car from Toyokawa IC on the Tomei Expressway or 15 minutes by taxi from JR Futagawa Station, with free parking for 200 cars. The six registered buildings are introduced together on the Fumonji Temple page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1714, and moved in 1755 and 1856.
- What was it formerly called?
- The Ryujingu shrine.
- What marks its design?
- Entwined dragons over the porch and cock-headed beam ends.
- Where is it?
- Inside a shed by the pond north of the Daishi Hall.
- When was the Fumonji Temple Bentendo (Former Ryujingu Shrine) registered?
- On August 6, 2025 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Fumonji Temple Bentendo (Former Ryujingu Shrine) (普門寺弁天堂（旧龍神宮）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7 Unoyacho, Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2025/08/06 (Reiwa 7) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, wooden shingles, 0.9 m² |
| Owner | Fumonji Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Main hall and Daishi Hall opened during the autumn maple festival (Aichi Prefecture) |
References
- Fumonji Temple Bentendo (Former Ryujingu Shrine) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00015460
- Fumonji maple festival (Aichi Now, official Aichi Prefecture tourism site, Japanese)
- https://aichinow.pref.aichi.jp/spots/detail/1787/
Last verified: 2026.10.24
