What the Great Kuri Is
On the east side of the Main Hall, facing west, stands a long building, the Great Kuri of Hōkō-ji. A kuri is the building that houses a temple’s kitchen, offices, and monks’ living quarters, and the Great Kuri is, as its name says, by far the largest such building in the precinct. It is a single-story timber structure with a tiled roof and a floor area reaching 513 square metres, gable-roofed in pantiles on a north–south ridge.
It dates from the early Taishō period, roughly 1912 to 1918, and was repaired around 1990. At the centre of its front is a porch with an undulating karahafu gable, flanked to left and right by projecting hip-and-gable sections, giving it a distinctive face. The north side holds public spaces such as an exhibition room, the south side working spaces such as offices.
The Kitchen That Sustains Temple Life
Hōkō-ji is known for its vegetarian temple cuisine as well as for zazen, and the kuri has long housed both that work of food and the temple’s administration. Public space for receiving visitors and working space for running the temple share one building, and here the daily life of the head temple gathers.
Dignity Befitting a Head Temple
The Great Kuri was registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) on 10 September 2019, registration number 22-262. Its listing cites the criterion of being a model of design.
What is valued is its bold exterior and the dignity befitting a head temple. Beyond its scale of 513 square metres, the three-dimensional face created by the central karahafu porch and the flanking hip-and-gable projections gives it a commanding presence despite being a working building.
The contrast between the long gable roof and the varied composition of the front is another highlight. Giving expression, through porch and projections, to a large building that might otherwise read as monotonous is admired as a feat of design.
Standing Before the Karahafu Porch
The central karahafu porch is the face of this building. A karahafu is a gable whose centre curves upward in a bow, lending the entrance both formality and flair. With the hip-and-gable sections projecting to either side, the front becomes not a mere long wall but a composition with depth and rhythm.
The division of function, with public space such as the exhibition room to the north and working space such as offices to the south, also expresses the character of a kuri. At Hōkō-ji, temple treasures are sometimes displayed within the kuri, and a public space is provided for visitors to step into.
Standing in a row with the Main Hall and the Shika-ryō, this building is also a key element in the landscape of the central precinct. Among the halls linked by covered corridors, the Great Kuri supports the daily life of the head temple as the centre of living and work.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shizuoka
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Hokoji Temple
- [ Mt. Fuji Views & Atami Hot Spring Resorts ]
Q&A
- What kind of building is a kuri?
- It houses a temple’s kitchen, offices, and monks’ living quarters. The Great Kuri of Hōkō-ji is especially large, reaching 513 square metres, with public spaces such as an exhibition room to the north and working spaces such as offices to the south.
- How old is it?
- It dates from the early Taishō period, roughly 1912–1918, and was repaired around 1990. It became a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 September 2019, registration number 22-262.
- What are the exterior features?
- The central karahafu porch and the hip-and-gable sections projecting to either side. Against the long gable roof, this porch and these projections create a three-dimensional, bold face.
- Can the interior be visited?
- The north side holds public spaces such as an exhibition room, where temple treasures are sometimes displayed. Check the official Hōkō-ji site for viewing details.
Basic Information
| Name | Hōkō-ji Great Kuri (Kitchen-Refectory) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1577-1 Okuyama, Inasa-chō, Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka |
| Status | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure); reg. no. 22-262 |
| Registered | 10 September 2019 |
| Units | 1 building |
| Structure | Single-story timber, tiled roof, 513 m²; north–south gable pantile roof |
| Date | Early Taishō (c. 1912–1918); repaired c. 1990 |
| Owner | Hōkō-ji (religious corporation) |
| Access | Within the precinct, east of the Main Hall; check the official site for exhibition access |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs National Cultural Properties Database — Hōkō-ji Great Kuri
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012912
- Hōkō-ji Head Temple — Official Site
- https://houkouji.or.jp/about/
- Rinnou.net — Rinzai & Ōbaku Zen: Hōkō-ji
- https://rinnou.net/head-temple/houkou/
- Shizuoka Tourism (Hello Navi) — Hōkō-ji Guide
- https://hellonavi.jp/article/hokoji
Last verified: 2026.07.07