A Zen-Style Shrine Cabinet for the Eleven-Headed Kannon
The Hasedera Temple Main Hall Zushi (長谷寺本堂内厨子) is a shrine cabinet (zushi) set inside the main hall of the late Muromachi period in Nakanocho, Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on December 19, 1988 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records one bay square, single-storey, with a hip-and-gable roof of wooden shingles; designation number 02202.
A Full-Scale Cabinet for the Principal Image
The Hasedera Temple Main Hall Zushi is the shrine cabinet inside the main hall of Hasedera that holds the principal image, an eleven-headed Kannon (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is one bay (1.98 metres) wide at the front, with a hip-and-gable roof of shingles, and is based on the Zen style.
It is built with the techniques of a full-scale building, with two-step bracketing and fan-shaped rafters under the eaves (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Original material survives in the frame, brackets and eaves and even in the roofing, and it is well preserved.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency notes that it is valuable as one of the few surviving structures of the late Muromachi period in the San'in region.
What to Look For
Look for the two-step bracketing, the fan-shaped rafters and the shingled hip-and-gable roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Hasedera Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The cabinet stands inside the main hall. No official visiting information was found.
Q&A
- When was the cabinet made?
- In the late Muromachi period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What does it hold?
- The principal image, an eleven-headed Kannon.
- What style is it?
- Zen style, with two-step bracketing and fan-shaped rafters.
- Why is it valued?
- It is one of few late Muromachi structures in the San'in region.
- When was the Hasedera Temple Main Hall Zushi designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On December 19, 1988 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Hasedera Temple Main Hall Zushi (長谷寺本堂内厨子) |
|---|---|
| Location | Nakanocho, Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1988/12/19 (Showa 63) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | One bay square, single-storey, hip-and-gable, shingle roof |
| Owner | Hasedera Temple |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Hasedera Temple Main Hall Zushi (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/2937
Last verified: 2026.10.23