What the Goma Hall Is
Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall is a Buddhist hall of 1901 standing on the eastern side of the Tairyuji Temple precinct in Kamo-cho, Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture, and it was entered in the national register of Tangible Cultural Properties in 2013. It is a single-storey timber building roofed in copper sheet, with a building area of 111 square metres, joined on its western side to the main priests' quarters.
A goma hall is where the fire rite of esoteric Buddhism is performed. At this temple the rite is carried out daily, known as the Higoma of Tairyuji, and the temple records that petitions arrive from across the country. The principal image is Fudo Myoo, attributed by tradition to Kogyo Daishi.
Lost to Fire, Rebuilt as a Hall of Fire
A large fire swept the temple in 1894. The main priests' quarters burned and the goma hall was lost with them. The temple's own record states that the image of Fudo Myoo came through the fire undamaged.
The present Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall belongs to the rebuilding that followed. The priests' quarters went up in 1895; the goma hall was completed in 1901, seven years after the fire. Counting the bell tower gate of 1903, the newest building in the precinct, recovery from the fire took the best part of a decade.
A hall where fire is lit every day was destroyed by fire and raised again on the same ground. Knowing that before standing in front of Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall changes how the building reads.
Tapered Columns and Packed Bracketing
The frame of Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall carries elements of the Zenshūyō manner. The columns are round and finished with a chimaki, a slight taper drawn in at the top. Around the sides, the bracket sets that carry the Taruki eaves sit on a continuous head beam, and further sets are packed into the spaces between the columns rather than placed only above them. Against the older Japanese manner, which brackets only at the columns, the density under the eaves is visibly greater.
The plan is three bays across the front and four deep, so the building runs back further than it is wide. The front bay forms the Gejin, and the three rear bays hold the Naijin with its cabinet in the central bay and flanking spaces on either side. Space for standing worshippers is kept tight; depth goes to the fire and to the image.
Ornament concentrates around the one-bay Kōhai porch, where the carving steps up a level. A veranda runs along the south and east faces, so the front and the eastern flank can be followed in one walk.
Seeing Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall
Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall faces south and presents its front to the approach path. Take the porch carving from directly in front, then follow the eaves round to the east to read the packed bracketing. The western face is built against the main priests' quarters and cannot be seen from outside.
Since the fire rite is performed here daily, the interior is a working ritual space. The temple accepts requests for goma prayers, but no official guidance covers general access to the inside of Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall at other times. No notice on photography was found either, so follow the temple's instructions inside the hall and during a rite.
The building stands beyond the hexagonal scripture repository along the approach, so visitors reach it naturally while working westward along the eastern side of the grounds. Directions to the precinct and the general conditions for a visit are collected on the Tairyuji Temple page.
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Q&A
- What image is enshrined in Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall?
- Fudo Myoo, the immovable wisdom king, attributed by temple tradition to Kogyo Daishi. The temple records that the image survived the fire of 1894 undamaged.
- When was Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall built?
- In 1901, as part of the rebuilding after the fire of 1894. It was entered in the register of Tangible Cultural Properties on 21 June 2013.
- What is the Higoma at Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall?
- The daily performance of the esoteric fire rite, kept up without a break. The temple states that requests for prayers are received from across Japan.
- What are the architectural features of Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall?
- Round columns tapered at the top, with bracket sets on a continuous head beam packed into the spaces between the columns as well as above them. The plan is three bays across and four deep, the front bay forming the outer sanctuary and the three rear bays the inner sanctuary with its cabinet and flanking spaces. Carving is densest around the porch.
- Can visitors enter Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall?
- It is a working ritual hall used daily. No official guidance covers general access at other times, so ask at the temple.
Basic Information
| Name | Tairyuji Temple Goma Hall |
|---|---|
| Location | Tatsuyama 1, Kamo-cho, Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2013 (Heisei 25) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, copper-sheet roof, building area 111 square metres |
| Owner | Tairyuji Religious Corporation |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the grounds; the western face adjoins the priests' quarters and the interior is a working ritual space |
References
- Tairyuji Goma Hall, National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009669
- Tairyuji Goma Hall, Cultural Heritage Online, Agency for Cultural Affairs
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/240285
- Tairyuji, Temple 21 of the Shikoku Pilgrimage (official site)
- https://www.tairyuji21.jp/
- About the Tairyuji Ropeway, Shikoku Cable Co., Ltd.
- https://www.shikoku-cable.co.jp/tairyuji/outline/
Last verified: 2026.09.13
