What Is Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors?
Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors (高野山霊宝館玄関・北廊・中廊) is the 1920 reception block and pair of walkways at Koyasan Reihokan Museum in Koya Town, Wakayama Prefecture, registered as a single Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 1998.
Three parts share one registration. The entrance is a single-storey hall three bays wide under a hip-and-gable roof (Irimoya-zukuri). From it the Central Corridor (Nakarō) runs back to the Shiunden hall and the North Corridor (Kitarō) runs sideways to the Hōkōkaku pavilion. The whole is single-storey timber with a building area of 147 square meters.
It is also the only one of the museum's five registered buildings with a tiled roof. The Shiunden, the Hōkōkaku and the Treasure Storehouse are roofed in copper and the South and West Corridors in sheet iron, so the clay tiles are kept for the way in.
Why Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors Was Registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors as a building that has become a model of form, and what it singles out is the way the walkways meet the halls. The Shiunden and the Hōkōkaku each stand on a raised base, and just before each corridor reaches them its ridge steps up. The low line of the walkway roof lifts as it nears the building it serves, and the agency credits this with giving the whole complex a sense of flow.
The agency describes the two corridors as open-sided. Round posts stand in a row, and the lower half of each bay is filled with wainscot panels modeled on Shitomido shutters, borrowing a familiar piece of temple carpentry for what is essentially a museum passage.
The entrance is also the hinge of the plan. Here the route splits toward two quite different galleries, and the two branches meet again at the back through the South and West Corridors, closing the loop.
Highlights of Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors
The visitor route on the museum's floor plan starts at the entrance and heads along the North Corridor to the Hōkōkaku. It ends by bringing you back from the Shiunden along the Central Corridor, so Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors serves as both the way in and the way out. Partway along the Central Corridor a passage branches off to the 1984 wing, and a small sales booth stands near the entrance end.
Walking up the path from the front gate, you face the three-bay hip-and-gable roof head-on. Since it is the only tiled roof among the registered buildings, look for the contrast with the copper roofs of the Shiunden and the Hōkōkaku behind it.
Inside the corridors, watch the rhythm of the round posts and the panels between them. The raised ridges where the walkways meet the halls are best read from outside, along the roofline; where you can see them from is something to check on site.
Visiting Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors
Every visitor passes through Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors, since they form the start and end of the route. Photography is banned in the corridors just as in the galleries, and umbrellas are left in the stand at the entrance.
There are steps along the way; wheelchair users can ask at reception for help. The ticket counter is in the office building next to the entrance, completed in 2005. Opening hours, fees and directions are on the Koyasan Reihokan Museum page.
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Q&A
- What is Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors?
- It is the reception block of Koyasan Reihokan Museum together with the Central Corridor leading to the Shiunden and the North Corridor leading to the Hōkōkaku, registered as one building. It was built in 1920 and registered in 1998.
- Why was Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the stepped-up ridges where the corridors meet the Shiunden and the Hōkōkaku, which give the complex a sense of movement. It was registered as a building that has become a model of form.
- What kind of roof does Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors have?
- A tiled roof. It is the only tiled building among the museum's five registered structures; the other four are roofed in copper or sheet iron.
- Can I walk through Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors and take photos?
- Yes, you pass through it at the start and end of every visit. Photography is not allowed inside, including in the corridors.
- What does the entrance of Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors look like?
- It is a single-storey hip-and-gable hall three bays wide. The two corridors are described as open-sided, with round posts and shutter-style wainscot panels between them.
Basic Information
| Name | Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors |
|---|---|
| Location | 306 Koyasan, Koya-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered on September 2, 1998 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 147 m² (single-storey timber, tiled roof; entrance 3 bays wide, hip-and-gable) |
| Owner | Koyasan Cultural Properties Preservation Society (public interest incorporated foundation) |
| Public Access | Open as part of the museum route (admission charged; no photography inside) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000803
- Cultural Heritage Online: Koyasan Reihokan Entrance, North and Central Corridors (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/180713
- Koyasan Reihokan Museum: Visitor Information (Japanese)
- https://reihokan.or.jp/riyo/
- Koyasan Reihokan Museum: About the Museum (Japanese)
- https://reihokan.or.jp/about/
Last verified: 2026.10.07
