What the Hokoji Temple Main Hall is
The Hokoji Temple Main Hall (方広寺本堂), at the Rinzai Zen monastery of Hokoji in the Okuyama district of Inasa-cho, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, was built in 1915 and entered the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 September 2019. It faces south from the flat shelf of ground at the centre of the temple precinct.
The building is a single-storey timber structure with a tiled roof and a floor area of 735 square metres. The temple's own figures give a frontage of 32 metres and a depth of 27 metres, which makes it one of the largest halls in the Tokai region. Climb the approach path and the broad hipped-and-gabled roof of pantiles opens out all at once.
An abbot's hall, enlarged
The plan follows the six-room hojo layout of a Zen abbot's hall, the standard arrangement for a building that once served as both residence and reception space. The Hokoji Temple Main Hall keeps that layout but stretches every room, wraps a wide veranda across the front and runs corridors down the sides and around the back.
Why the Hokoji Temple Main Hall was registered
The hall was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country, with the registration number 22-259, the lowest of the numbers issued to buildings at Hokoji.
What the assessment singles out is the way a modern head monastery achieved its presence in timber. The Agency for Cultural Affairs record points to the front veranda of cut-end boarding with its projecting balustrade, carried out over the slope like a stage building; the great pantiled roof; and the gable filling of three stacked beams with bottle-shaped struts.
Sources disagree on the date. The national database gives 1915, with repairs in 2010. The temple's website describes construction as running from 1905 to 1918. The gap most likely reflects different points chosen within a building campaign that lasted more than a decade.
What to look for at the Hokoji Temple Main Hall
Start with the height of the veranda. Because the Hokoji Temple Main Hall sits on sloping ground, the front underfloor rises steeply and the veranda projects clear of the earth. The balustrade that rims it draws a long horizontal line when seen from below.
Then walk round to a gable end. The three tiers of beams and the stout struts that carry them are heavy timbers, and they cast deep shadows. Seen together with the sweep of the roof, the figure of 735 square metres stops being an abstraction.
Inside, a large plaque reads Jinnozan, the mountain name of the temple. It is attributed to Yamaoka Tesshu, the swordsman and calligrapher of the late Edo and Meiji years. Temple treasures are also displayed in the hall.
Visiting the Hokoji Temple Main Hall
Visitors may step up into the Hokoji Temple Main Hall. Interior access is covered by the admission ticket for the grounds, and the hall is open whenever a service is not in progress. Photography of the displayed treasures is not permitted, so check the notices posted inside.
For the exterior, stand toward the south side of the forecourt: the full facade and the roof fit into one view from there. Behind the building lies the garden of the arhats, from which the corridor along the rear wall can be seen.
Directions to the precinct, opening hours and admission are set out on the Hokoji Temple page.
Q&A
- When was the Hokoji Temple Main Hall built?
- The national database of the Agency for Cultural Affairs gives 1915, with repairs in 2010. The temple's own website describes construction running from 1905 to 1918, so the sources differ.
- How large is the Hokoji Temple Main Hall?
- Its floor area is 735 square metres. The temple gives a frontage of 32 metres and a depth of 27 metres, among the largest of any hall in the Tokai region.
- What architectural form does the Hokoji Temple Main Hall take?
- A six-room abbot's hall plan, with a wide veranda across the front and corridors on the sides and rear. The roof is hipped-and-gabled with pantiles, and the gables are filled with three stacked beams and bottle-shaped struts.
- Can you go inside the Hokoji Temple Main Hall?
- Yes. Interior access is included in the admission ticket, except during services. Photography of the treasure display is prohibited.
- What cultural property status does the Hokoji Temple Main Hall hold?
- It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 September 2019, registration number 22-259, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Basic Information
| Name | Hokoji Temple Main Hall |
|---|---|
| Location | 1577-1 Okuyama, Inasa-cho, Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration number 22-259 |
| Year Designated | Registered on 10 September 2019 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, floor area 735 square metres |
| Owner | Hokoji Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Interior open to visitors with the admission ticket; no photography of the treasure display |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Hokoji Temple Main Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012909
- Daihonzan Hokoji: Grounds guide
- https://www.houkouji.or.jp/guide/
- Daihonzan Hokoji: About the temple
- https://www.houkouji.or.jp/about/
Last verified: 2026.09.17
