A household chapel behind the west storehouse
The Morita Family Residence Okankindo (森田家住宅御看経堂, Morita-ke Jūtaku Okankin-dō) is a small fire-resistant family Buddhist chapel in Ogawa, Akiruno City, Tokyo, built between 1830 and 1868 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 24 December 2013, registration number 13-0319.
The Morita Family Residence Okankindo stands behind the west storehouse. It is a single-storey Dozo-zukuri building under a pyramidal Hōgyō-zukuri roof, with a small entrance canopy (Kōhai) at the front. At 11 square metres it is the smallest of the Morita buildings.
Kankin means reading sutras aloud. An okankindo is a hall where members of the household read sutras before the family altar and honour their ancestors: not a temple, but a place of prayer built by one family on its own land.
Why it was listed
The Agency for Cultural Affairs concludes that the Morita Family Residence Okankindo is valuable as a surviving household chapel of an old family. Rather than keeping the altar in a reception room, the family gave it a building of its own, and built that building with the same fire-resistant earthen walls as the storehouses.
Inside, a worship area of 3 tatami mats sits in front and the altar setting behind, divided by a tie beam (Kōryō). Small as it is, the plan separates the place of the worshippers from the place of the enshrined, as a temple hall does.
What to look for
The roof of the Morita Family Residence Okankindo is a detached copper roof, its four faces rising to a point crowned with a sacred jewel finial (hōju). The finial signals from outside that this is a Buddhist building, so the effect is of a temple roof set on a storehouse box.
The upper walls are white Shikkui; the lower band is togidashi, plaster rubbed smooth to a stone-like sheen. Compare it with the coarse pebble-washed bases of the shop and front storehouses and it is clear that this little hall was given a level of finish above that of the stores.
Visiting
The Morita Family Residence Okankindo stands deep in the grounds behind the west storehouse and cannot be seen from the street. It remains the family's place of prayer and is not open.
Entering the grounds requires the owner's permission. Because it is a place of worship, ask before photographing it as well. Directions are on the Morita Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- Can you visit the Morita Family Residence Okankindo?
- The Morita Family Residence Okankindo stands deep inside the grounds, out of sight from the street, and is not open. Entering the grounds needs the owner's permission.
- What does Okankindo mean at the Morita Family Residence?
- Kankin means reading sutras aloud. The Okankindo is the household's private Buddhist chapel, where the family read sutras and honoured their ancestors.
- When was the Morita Family Residence Okankindo built?
- In the late Edo period, between 1830 and 1868.
- What is inside the Morita Family Residence Okankindo?
- According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, a worship area of 3 tatami mats at the front and an altar setting behind, divided by a tie beam.
- When was the Morita Family Residence Okankindo registered?
- On 24 December 2013, as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property with registration number 13-0319.
Basic Information
| Name | Morita Family Residence Okankindo (森田家住宅御看経堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 633-1 Konaka, Ogawa, Akiruno City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/12/24 (Heisei 25); registration no. 13-0319 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey earthen building; building area 11 square metres |
| Owner | Not published (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Closed |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Morita Family Residence Okankindo
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009734
- Kanmi Sabō Misegura Hisamori: cultural properties
- https://www.hisamori.biz/pages/10/
- Akiruno City: designated and registered cultural properties in Akiruno
- https://www.city.akiruno.tokyo.jp/kanko/0000001910.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
