What the Anrakuji Temple Hojo Is
The Anrakuji Temple Hojo (安楽寺方丈, Anrakuji Hōjō) is the abbot's reception building at Anrakuji in Hikino, Kamiita-cho, Itano-gun, Tokushima Prefecture, built in the late Edo period between about 1751 and 1829 and entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 7, 2009. It is a single-storey timber building of 240 square meters, set facing south to the northeast of the east-facing main hall.
The Anrakuji in question is Onsenzan Rurikōin Anrakuji, a Kōyasan Shingon school temple and the sixth stop on the Shikoku pilgrimage of 88 temples. Tokushima Prefecture has more than one temple of this name, so anyone setting out to see the Anrakuji Temple Hojo should confirm that they are heading for the pilgrimage temple in Hikino.
A hōjō is where the head priest lives and receives guests. The Anrakuji Temple Hojo was accordingly built as a suite of matted rooms rather than as a hall for enshrining an image, and it sits slightly aside from the route pilgrims follow through the precincts.
Why the Anrakuji Temple Hojo Was Registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs database lists the Anrakuji Temple Hojo under register number 36-0079, citing the criterion of contribution to the historic landscape of the country. Its entry closes by calling the building a parlour of gentle outward appearance, and it is the roof that produces that impression.
The roof is Irimoya-zukuri in Kayabuki, except around the perimeter, where it turns to Hongawarabuki. A thick mass of thatch is caught from below by a border of clay tiles. Two materials reading as one continuous surface is the substance behind the description.
The frame uses square posts carrying a simple bearing block and arm. Between them stand struts finished with carving in the oigata manner, and the Taruki are closely spaced in one and a half tiers. Rather than piling up elaborate Kumimono, the building puts its display into those struts alone. Inside, four rooms are arranged in a two-by-two grid with a broad veranda running around the outside, a plan much used in early modern reception architecture.
What to Look For at the Anrakuji Temple Hojo
Start at the edge of the roof. The line where the thatched surface ends and the tiles begin runs unbroken around the building. Thatch darkens slowly with age; tiles turn glossy black after rain. Since the two dry at different rates, a visit just after a shower is when the contrast reads most sharply.
Next, hunt for the struts. The bearing block and arm above each post are plain, but the struts standing between them carry carved ornament. Track your eye sideways along the underside of the eaves and the decoration appears at regular intervals. That is where the craftsmen of the Anrakuji Temple Hojo concentrated their effort.
Inside is a raised room, the jōdan-no-ma, handed down as the seat of the domain lord. The association of the 88 pilgrimage temples records that this thatched building was donated by the Hachisuka family some 250 years ago. During the Edo period the Awa domain designated temples along its main roads as ekiroji, charged with easing the way for pilgrims and travellers, and a document of 1598 recording that arrangement survives. That relationship is why a lord's seat exists in the Anrakuji Temple Hojo at all.
Visiting the Anrakuji Temple Hojo
The Anrakuji Temple Hojo stands within the precincts and its exterior can be seen in the course of a visit. No published notice sets viewing hours or an admission fee for the interior. To see the rooms, including the raised room, telephone the temple in advance on 088-694-2046. Access may not be possible during services and temple events.
No posted notice prohibiting photography within the precincts could be confirmed. To capture the join between thatch and tile, stand at an oblique angle rather than square to the front, so that both planes fall within the frame.
According to the temple's own site, the route by public transport is to take the Tokushima Bus bound for Kajiyabara from Itano Station on the JR Kōtoku Line and get off at Higashihara, about 7 minutes on foot from the temple. By car, use the Itano interchange on the Takamatsu Expressway via prefectural routes 12 and 139, or the Donari interchange on the Tokushima Expressway via national route 318 and prefectural route 139. Free parking is available for 50 cars and no reservation is needed.
Q&A
- Can you visit the Anrakuji Temple Hojo, and is there an admission fee?
- The exterior can be seen from the precincts. No published source sets viewing hours or an admission charge for the interior. To see the matted rooms and the raised room, telephone the temple on 088-694-2046 in advance.
- When was the Anrakuji Temple Hojo built?
- In the late Edo period, between about 1751 and 1829. It is a single-storey timber building with a thatched roof partly finished in tile, covering 240 square meters, and was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 7, 2009.
- Which temple does the Anrakuji Temple Hojo belong to?
- Onsenzan Rurikoin Anrakuji in Hikino, Kamiita-cho, Itano-gun, Tokushima Prefecture, a Koyasan Shingon temple and the sixth stop on the Shikoku pilgrimage of 88 temples. Several temples in the prefecture share the name, so check the address before setting out.
- What is the story behind the raised room in the Anrakuji Temple Hojo?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs records that the raised room is handed down as the seat of the domain lord. The association of the 88 pilgrimage temples states that the building was donated by the Hachisuka family some 250 years ago.
- How do you reach the Anrakuji Temple Hojo, and is there parking?
- Take the Tokushima Bus for Kajiyabara from Itano Station on the JR Kotoku Line, get off at Higashihara and walk about 7 minutes. By car, use the Itano or Donari interchange and follow prefectural route 139. Free parking for 50 cars is available.
Basic Information
| Name | Anrakuji Temple Hojo |
|---|---|
| Location | 8 Terano-nishikita, Hikino, Kamiita-cho, Itano-gun, Tokushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structures) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2009 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 240 square meters |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Anrakuji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the precincts; interior by prior arrangement |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Anrakuji Hojo
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007807
- Onsenzan Anrakuji Official Site: History
- https://shikoku6.or.jp/history/
- Onsenzan Anrakuji Official Site: Access
- https://shikoku6.or.jp/access/
- Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage Association: Onsenzan Rurikoin Anrakuji
- https://88shikokuhenro.jp/06anrakuji/
Last verified: 2026.09.09