What the Hokoji Temple Shodo is
The Hokoji Temple Shodo (方広寺昭堂), at Hokoji in the Okuyama district of Inasa-cho, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, dates from the middle Meiji years, between 1883 and 1897, and entered the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 September 2019. It is attached to the north wall of the Founder's Hall.
The building is single-storey timber with a copper roof and a floor area of 24 square metres. Two bays square under a pyramidal roof, it has its entrance at the centre of the front. Inside is a single room with a coffered ceiling and an altar at the back.
One unit with the Founder's Hall
A worship bay projects from the centre of the rear wall of the Founder's Hall and meets the Shodo there. Hall of worship and hall of enshrinement run one behind the other, and though the two are registered separately they are used as a single space.
Why the Hokoji Temple Shodo was registered
The criterion is contribution to the historic landscape of the country, and the registration number is 22-270.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs record calls it a shrine hall of high quality in its design. For a building of 24 square metres the ornament is remarkably dense.
The bracket sets are double-stepped with tail rafters and are packed along the whole eave rather than standing only over the columns, with square strut blocks added between them. On a hall this small, continuous bracketing fills almost the entire soffit.
Beyond that, the beams and bracket arms are carved with flowing scroll ornament. Such carving takes the form of spirals and young leaves cut into the face of a member, and the confidence of the line is where the carver's skill shows. The choice of copper for the roof, in a precinct that is mostly tiled, marks the standing of the Hokoji Temple Shodo as well.
What to look for at the Hokoji Temple Shodo
Come close under the eaves and follow the run of bracketing. Because brackets fill the spaces between the columns as well as standing on them, blocks and arms continue without a break, and the hall is small enough that the whole run fits in one view.
Then look at the sides of the arms and beams. Spirals and leaf forms are cut into them. Carving of this kind is hard to see head on and shows best when light strikes it from an angle.
The pyramidal roof drops at an even pitch on all four sides. The green of weathered copper stands against the heavy tiling of the Founder's Hall, and since the two buildings touch, the contrast registers at a glance.
Visiting the Hokoji Temple Shodo
The Hokoji Temple Shodo adjoins the Founder's Hall, which is normally closed, so the interior cannot be seen. The temple states that the Founder's Hall opens during the autumn foliage season, and at that time it may be possible to approach the junction between the two.
The exterior can be seen as far round the north side of the Founder's Hall as the route allows. The pyramidal roof and the colour of the copper read best from a little distance, looking up.
Seeing the carved ornament means getting close under the eaves, so timing a visit to the open season is the surer plan. Directions and admission are covered on the Hokoji Temple page.
Q&A
- What kind of building is the Hokoji Temple Shodo?
- A shrine hall attached to the north wall of the Founder's Hall. Two bays square under a pyramidal copper roof, it holds a single room with a coffered ceiling and an altar at the back.
- When was the Hokoji Temple Shodo built?
- In the middle Meiji years, between 1883 and 1897. The Founder's Hall it adjoins dates from 1935, so the two differ in age.
- What should visitors look at in the Hokoji Temple Shodo?
- The continuous double-stepped bracketing with tail rafters and square strut blocks under the eaves, and the scroll ornament carved into the beams and arms. The copper pyramidal roof is distinctive too.
- Can visitors see inside the Hokoji Temple Shodo?
- No. It adjoins the Founder's Hall, which is normally closed. The exterior can be viewed from the north side of that hall.
- What cultural property status does the Hokoji Temple Shodo hold?
- It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 September 2019, registration number 22-270, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Basic Information
| Name | Hokoji Temple Shodo |
|---|---|
| Location | 1577-1 Okuyama, Inasa-cho, Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration number 22-270 |
| Year Designated | Registered on 10 September 2019 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, copper roof, floor area 24 square metres |
| Owner | Hokoji Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Interior closed; exterior visible from the north side of the Founder's Hall |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Hokoji Temple Shodo
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012920
- Daihonzan Hokoji: Grounds guide
- https://www.houkouji.or.jp/guide/
Last verified: 2026.09.17
