What the Shōrō Is
Toward the east of the Main Hall’s front, on a platform of cobblestones, stands the bell tower, or Shōrō, of Hōkō-ji. It is the structure that houses the temple bell: a two-story timber building with a tiled roof and a floor area of 15 square metres, one bay square with a skirt base beneath a hip-and-gable roof of pantiles.
It is thought to date from around 1922. The lower level is firmly braced by a flared skirt base, while the upper level is open on all four sides. A veranda wraps around it, supported by two-stepped waist brackets, and the ceiling is coffered. It holds a solid presence on the plaza before the Main Hall.
Where the Bell Resounds
A Zen temple’s day moves to the sound of the bell. The Shōrō houses the temple bell that marks the hours and signals the rites. Placed where visitors readily see it, on the plaza before the Main Hall, it governs sound and time within the grounds of Hōkō-ji.
Value as a Skirt-Base Bell Tower
The Shōrō was registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) on 10 September 2019, registration number 22-263. Its listing cites the criterion of being a model of design.
What is valued is the shapely handling of the skirt-base form. The brackets are two-stepped, with block-and-strut elements between, and a double layer of closely set rafters carries the eaves. The waist brackets supporting the open upper level and the coffered ceiling create a taut composition on a small scale.
By standing on a cobblestone platform, the tower is set a step higher within the plaza. From the platform to the roof, the proportions of each part are well ordered, and that underlies its value as a cultural property.
Looking Up at the Skirt and the Open Level
The skirt base is a flared boarded covering around the waist of the lower level. The contrast between the stable, trapezoidal lower level and the open upper level is this tower’s chief appeal. Look up in order: the cobblestones of the platform, then the skirt base, then the open upper level.
A veranda wraps the upper level, held up by two-stepped waist brackets. Look up at the closely set eaves rafters and you can see that even a small building carries the careful woodwork of a head temple.
The Shōrō lies toward the east of the Main Hall’s front, catching the eye naturally along the path of worship. Set beside registered properties such as the Main Hall, Great Kuri, and Sanmon, it shows how the precinct divides the functions of sound, ceremony, and daily life among its buildings.
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Q&A
- What kind of building is the Shōrō?
- It is a bell tower that houses the temple bell, which marks the hours and signals the rites, setting the rhythm of a Zen temple’s day. The Shōrō stands toward the east of the plaza before the Main Hall.
- How old is it?
- It is thought to date from around 1922. It became a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 September 2019, registration number 22-263.
- What does one-bay-square with a skirt base mean?
- It has a plan one bay wide on each side and a skirt base of flared boarding around the lower waist. The contrast between the stable lower level and the open upper level is characteristic.
- What is worth seeing?
- The upward contrast of cobblestone platform, skirt base, and open upper level. Note too the two-stepped waist brackets supporting the upper veranda and the careful double-rafter eaves.
Basic Information
| Name | Hōkō-ji Shōrō (Bell Tower) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1577-1 Okuyama, Inasa-chō, Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka |
| Status | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure); reg. no. 22-263 |
| Registered | 10 September 2019 |
| Units | 1 building |
| Structure | Two-story timber, tiled roof, 15 m²; one-bay-square skirt-base, hip-and-gable pantile roof |
| Date | circa 1922 |
| Owner | Hōkō-ji (religious corporation) |
| Access | Within the precinct, east of the plaza before the Main Hall; exterior viewable |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs National Cultural Properties Database — Hōkō-ji Shōrō
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012913
- 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