Jōgan-ji Shōrō: A Bell Tower Built Entirely of Zelkova
Southwest of the main hall at Jōgan-ji, in Higashi-kokubu in Kinokawa, Wakayama, a compact bell tower rises on a base of cut stone. It covers only nine square metres, yet it is among the most carefully made of the temple's six registered structures. The reason is in the material: the whole tower, frame and ornament alike, is worked in keyaki, the hard, close-grained zelkova prized by Japanese carpenters for its strength and its warm figure.
The shōrō, or bell tower, holds the temple's bell, and at Jōgan-ji that bell still has a public role. The temple, which describes itself as open to the community, gathers people here in summer for a peace-bell ceremony, so the structure is not a relic but a working part of the year's rhythm. It stands square in plan, a single bay on each side, under a gabled roof of formal hongawara tiling.
The Carpentry, Close Up
The tower repays a slow circuit on foot. It sits on a podium of cut, fitted stone, and its four square pillars rise from base plinths set with a deliberate outward lean on every side, a technique called shihō-korobi that braces the frame against sway. Tie beams at three levels, low, high, and a rainbow-shaped head beam, lock the pillars together, and the joints are capped with large block-and-arm brackets. The gable end is dressed with a rainbow beam, a bottle-shaped strut, and wing-form brackets, while the eaves carry widely spaced double rafters.
Carving is concentrated where it will be seen against the sky. A frog-leg strut, the kaerumata, and a pendant gable ornament, the gegyo, are both cut with decorative relief, and the rainbow beams carry shaped profiles. Set against the plain cut-stone base, the figured zelkova above gives the small tower an unexpected richness.
Registration and What to Notice
The bell tower was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in December 2024, among the six Jōgan-ji buildings recognised for their place in the historic landscape. Its late-Edo date sets it among the older fabric on the site, and its quality marks the care the temple gave even to its smaller structures. Where the main hall anchors the village by mass, the bell tower contributes by sound and by craft.
For a visitor, the tower rewards attention from below. Step around the base and watch how the splayed pillars and the bracketing change against the light, then look up into the gable to find the carved frog-leg strut and the pendant ornament. The cut-stone podium and the figured zelkova frame are easy to appreciate from the precinct, and if a visit coincides with the summer ceremony, the bell can be heard as it was meant to be.
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Q&A
- What is special about the material?
- The whole tower is built of keyaki, or zelkova, a hard close-grained hardwood valued for strength and figure. Using it throughout, frame and carving alike, marks the tower as high-quality work.
- Why do the pillars lean outward?
- The four pillars are set with a deliberate outward incline on all sides, a method called shihō-korobi that braces the frame and steadies a tall, narrow structure.
- Is the bell still used?
- Yes. The temple is an open one and gathers the community here in summer for a peace-bell ceremony, so the tower remains in active use.
- How old is the tower?
- It dates from the late Edo period, between roughly 1751 and 1830, placing it among the older surviving structures in the precinct.
- What carving should I look for?
- Look into the gable for the carved frog-leg strut and the pendant gable ornament, and along the eaves for the shaped rainbow beams, all in figured zelkova.
Basic Information
| Name | Jōgan-ji Shōrō (Bell Tower) |
|---|---|
| Location | 812 and adjacent, Higashi-kokubu, Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building); registered 3 December 2024 (Reg. no. 30-0382) |
| Date | Late Edo period (c. 1751–1830) |
| Structure | Timber (zelkova) on a cut-stone podium, tiled roof; area 9.0 m²; one unit |
| Owner | Religious corporation Jōgan-ji |
| Access | Within the precinct; exterior viewable, bell rung at the summer ceremony |
References
- National Database of Designated Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Jōgan-ji Shōrō
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00015221
- Jōgan-ji official website
- https://www.joganji.org
Last verified: 2026.06.25