What Is the Kongobuji Temple New Shoin?
The Kongobuji Temple New Shoin (金剛峯寺新書院, Kongōbu-ji Shin-shoin) is a formal reception wing built in the early Taisho period (1912 to 1918) and moved in 1957 to the west side of Kongobuji on Mount Koya in Koya Town, Wakayama Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 13, 2025.
According to Kongobuji, the building was donated by the businessman Ikushima Gorobe and brought up from Kobe. Joined by a corridor to the northwest corner of the Okuden, it serves, like the Okuden, as a suite for distinguished guests.
In 1971, during the Kuroshio National Sports Festival, Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun stayed here, and in 2003 Princess Sayako (Nori-no-miya) stayed as well. A private Taisho-era house thus became part of the head temple's hospitality.
Why the Kongobuji New Shoin Was Registered
It was registered as a model of architectural form. The single-storey timber building has a copper-clad Irimoya-zukuri roof and a building area of 168 m². The ridge runs north to south, lean-to roofs wrap the base, and a bath wing is attached at the northwest.
There are three rooms. The north room, the principal one, measures 18 tatami mats and has the full set of a formal Shoin-zukuri interior: alcove, staggered shelves and a Tsukeshoin writing bay. The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises its generous use of fine timber, its wall paintings and its detailing.
Unlike the Okuden and the Annex, planned from the start as temple reception halls, the Kongobuji Temple New Shoin is a high-quality Taisho interior relocated and put to a new use, a reminder that the reception complex grew through both new building and relocation.
Highlights of the Kongobuji Temple New Shoin
The alcove wall of the main room is the focus. Alcove, shelves and writing bay together are the classic markers of a formal room, and the paintings add color around them.
Outside, note the two-level roof: the hipped-and-gabled main roof over a ring of lean-tos, which gives a single-storey building layered depth.
The Shinshoan is attached on the west. Pairing a formal reception suite with a tea room suits guests who stay the night.
Visiting the Kongobuji Temple New Shoin
Kongobuji lists the Kongobuji Temple New Shoin among the sights within the temple but does not state whether its interior is shown on a regular visit. As it is used for honored guests, do not count on entering; ask on the day.
Photography is prohibited inside the buildings; Banryutei may be photographed.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Wakayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kongobuji Temple New Shoin
- [ Koyasan & Kumano Kodo World Heritage Trails ]
Q&A
- Can visitors see inside the Kongobuji Temple New Shoin?
- Kongobuji lists it among its sights but does not say whether the interior is open. Because it is used as a guest suite, check at the temple on the day.
- Where did the Kongobuji New Shoin come from?
- According to Kongobuji, it was donated by Ikushima Gorobe and moved from Kobe. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the relocation to 1957.
- Which members of the imperial family stayed at the Kongobuji Temple New Shoin?
- Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun in 1971, and Princess Sayako in 2003.
- When was the Kongobuji New Shoin registered?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 13, 2025. It was built in the early Taisho period.
- What is the main room of the Kongobuji Temple New Shoin like?
- An 18-mat room on the north side with an alcove, staggered shelves and a writing bay, decorated with wall paintings.
Basic Information
| Name | Kongobuji Temple New Shoin |
|---|---|
| Location | 136 Honchuindani, Koyasan, Koya Town, Ito District, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered March 13, 2025 (Reiwa 7) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 168 m² (single-storey timber, copper roof) |
| Owner | Kongobuji Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Interior access not stated (used as a guest suite) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Kongobuji Shin-shoin
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00015362
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Council recommendation on registered buildings (November 22, 2024)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/koho_hodo_oshirase/hodohappyo/pdf/94136901_01.pdf
- Kongobuji: Nine Kongobuji buildings to be registered (2024)
- https://www.koyasan.or.jp/sp/news/2024/11/22/6687/
- Kongobuji: Highlights within the temple
- https://www.koyasan.or.jp/kongobuji/jinai.html
- Kongobuji: Admission fees
- https://www.koyasan.or.jp/kongobuji/charges/
- Kongobuji: Visitor guidance
- https://www.koyasan.or.jp/guidance/
Last verified: 2026.09.23
