What the Hokoji Temple Shikaryo is
The Hokoji Temple Shikaryo (方広寺知客寮), at Hokoji in the Okuyama district of Inasa-cho, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, dates from about 1915 and entered the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 September 2019. It is attached to the northern end of the east wall of the Main Hall.
A shika is the officer of a Zen monastery who receives visitors and handles communication within the community, and a shikaryo is the room where that duty is kept. The building is single-storey timber with a pantiled roof and a floor area of 123 square metres, hipped-and-gabled with its ridge running north to south, and its eaves carry two rows of widely spaced rafters.
Set between hall and kitchen
The Hokoji Temple Shikaryo sits between the Main Hall and the Great Priests' Quarters. A corridor two bays wide runs along its southern side, linking the two, while the northern side holds a 14-mat reception room, a 6-mat waiting room and a store, with verandas along the east and north faces.
Why the Hokoji Temple Shikaryo was registered
The criterion is contribution to the historic landscape of the country, and the number is 22-261, among the lowest issued at Hokoji.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs record states that standing in line with the Main Hall and the kitchen wing, it helps compose the grand character of the central precinct. The judgement rests on its relation to its neighbours rather than on its own form.
What carries that relation physically is the two-bay corridor along the south. Zen monasteries usually link their principal halls with covered walkways; the Hokoji Temple Shikaryo takes the walkway inside itself. Passage and duty room become one building, and the Main Hall and the kitchen wing connect without a break.
What to look for at the Hokoji Temple Shikaryo
Study the junctions. The building runs out from the northern end of the east wall of the Main Hall, and its far end meets the kitchen wing. The line of three buildings is easiest to grasp from the eastern side of the forecourt, looking north-east.
The eaves carry two rows of rafters, spaced well apart. Compare them with the closely packed double rows on the Main Hall or the Bell Tower and the difference in number is plain. Rank was assigned to the eaves according to whether a building served worship or work.
Verandas run along the east and north faces. Whichever sides carry a veranda are the outward-facing sides, and they show which way the Hokoji Temple Shikaryo was meant to be used from.
Visiting the Hokoji Temple Shikaryo
The Hokoji Temple Shikaryo is a working administrative building and no notice of interior access is published. Viewing is from the outside.
The view to take is from the forecourt of the Main Hall, looking east: the Main Hall, the Shikaryo and the kitchen wing run away to the north in one line. For a closer look at the rafters, work round to the east side as far as the route allows.
Photography is unrestricted, but this is a route used by temple staff, so keep clear of anyone working. Directions and admission are covered on the Hokoji Temple page.
Q&A
- What is a shikaryo used for?
- A shika is the officer of a Zen monastery who receives visitors and handles internal communication, and the shikaryo is the room kept for that duty. This one adjoins the east wall of the Main Hall.
- When was the Hokoji Temple Shikaryo built?
- Around 1915, the same period as the Main Hall.
- What is the interior of the Hokoji Temple Shikaryo like?
- A corridor two bays wide runs along the south, linking the Main Hall with the kitchen wing. The north holds a 14-mat reception room, a 6-mat waiting room and a store, with verandas on the east and north.
- Can visitors see the Hokoji Temple Shikaryo?
- It is a working building and no interior access is published. The exterior can be viewed from the eastern side of the Main Hall forecourt.
- What cultural property status does the Hokoji Temple Shikaryo hold?
- It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 September 2019, registration number 22-261, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Basic Information
| Name | Hokoji Temple Shikaryo |
|---|---|
| Location | 1577-1 Okuyama, Inasa-cho, Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration number 22-261 |
| Year Designated | Registered on 10 September 2019 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, floor area 123 square metres |
| Owner | Hokoji Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | No published notice of interior access; exterior visible from the Main Hall forecourt |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Hokoji Temple Shikaryo
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012911
- Daihonzan Hokoji: Grounds guide
- https://www.houkouji.or.jp/guide/
Last verified: 2026.09.17
