What the Anzaisho Is
Deep in the wooded hills of Okuyama, in the Hamana ward of Hamamatsu, spreads Hōkō-ji, head temple of the Hōkō-ji branch of Rinzai Zen. In one corner of its vast precinct, standing north of the Sanshō-kaku pavilion and facing south, is the Anzaisho. The word anzaisho means a temporary imperial residence, and this building once served exactly that role: it was the lodging prepared for the Meiji Emperor at the Iida family honjin of Arai-juku, a station town on the old Tōkaidō highway.
In 1885 the structure was dismantled, moved to its present site, and refurbished as part of the temple. Its original construction dates to 1868. It is a single-story timber building with a tiled roof and a floor area of 167 square metres, built in the tsumairi manner with entry on the gable end beneath a hipped roof of pantiles.
From Post-Station to Zen Mountain
Arai-juku was a strategic point on the Tōkaidō, home to a checkpoint on Lake Hamana, and its honjin was the high-ranking inn where feudal lords, court nobles, and the emperor himself would stay. That an imperial chamber from the Iida honjin should end up rebuilt inside a Zen head temple gives this single hall an unusually vivid history.
Why It Is a Registered Cultural Property
The Anzaisho was entered on the national Register of Tangible Cultural Properties (Structures) on 10 September 2019, under registration number 22-266. Many of Hōkō-ji’s halls were registered together on that date, and the Anzaisho is one of them. Its listing cites the criterion of being a model of design.
What earns that recognition is the quality of the building as a shoin, a formal reception hall. A lean-to skirt roof runs around all four sides; a porch with a gently upturned roof stands at the west end of the front, and a tea room adjoins the north end of the east side. Inside, a 24-mat antechamber lies to the south and a raised room of honour to the north, so that the whole plan is arranged to receive distinguished guests.
The dais room, fitting for a hall that began as an imperial chamber, reflects the standard of fine early-Meiji shoin architecture. Even after relocation and repeated repair, it keeps the formal dignity of its origins, and that continuity is central to its value.
What to Look For on a Visit
Watch the relationship between the raised room and the antechamber. The step up to the dais room is a way of expressing rank through architecture: the person seated above and the person facing from below are placed in a fixed order. Comparing the ceilings, transoms, and alcove work from room to room shows how each space was graded.
The porch roof curves upward toward the eaves, softening the face of the building. Seen together with the tea room at the northeast corner, it becomes clear that a formal space for receiving guests and a private space for the intimate art of tea share the same roof.
Hōkō-ji is a large mountain temple known for zazen and sutra-copying experiences, and the Anzaisho stands among many other registered structures, from the Great Kuri to the Main Hall. As you walk the grounds, consider how this hall, once host to an emperor, found its place within a Zen monastery.
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Q&A
- What does the word anzaisho mean?
- It refers to a temporary imperial residence used when an emperor travels. This particular hall was originally the chamber prepared for the Meiji Emperor at the Iida honjin in Arai-juku on the Tōkaidō highway.
- When was it built and moved here?
- The building dates to 1868 and was relocated to its present site and refurbished in 1885. Further repairs were carried out in the early Shōwa period.
- What are the main architectural features?
- It is a gable-entry hall with a hipped, pantiled roof and a skirt roof on all four sides. A 24-mat antechamber sits to the south and a raised room of honour to the north, with an upturned-roof porch at the front and a tea room at the northeast corner.
- What is its cultural-property status?
- It became a nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) on 10 September 2019, registration number 22-266. This registration system is distinct from the designations for National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.
Basic Information
| Name | Hōkō-ji Anzaisho (Temporary Imperial Lodging) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1577-1 Okuyama, Inasa-chō, Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka |
| Status | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure); reg. no. 22-266 |
| Registered | 10 September 2019 |
| Units | 1 building |
| Structure | Single-story timber, tiled roof, floor area 167 m² |
| Date | 1868; relocated and repaired 1885; repaired early Shōwa era |
| Owner | Hōkō-ji (religious corporation) |
| Access | Within Hōkō-ji precinct; check the official site for viewing hours |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs National Cultural Properties Database — Hōkō-ji Anzaisho
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012916
- 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